title: TCR delta gene rearrangements revealed by fine structure of the recombination junction in mice.
abstract: The standard products of V(D)J recombination of immunoglobulin and T cell receptor genes are two kinds of DNA junction, a coding joint and a signal joint. TCR delta V-D and D-D signal joints in adult mouse thymocytes were sequenced following PCR amplification. We observed differential nucleotide insertions at the V delta-D delta signal joints, depending on the V delta and D delta gene usage in the developmental stage. Nucleotide insertions at the V delta-D delta 1 signal joints were less frequent for the V delta 4, 5 genes preferentially utilized in adult thymocytes than for the V delta 3, 6 genes, infrequently rearranged to D delta 1. In addition to standard signal joints, unexpectedly, novel nonstandard products, "replacement joints" of D delta 1 substituted downstream by the recombination signal sequence of V delta were also found. However, no D delta 2-associated replacement joints other than V delta 5 were found. The other replacement joints of D delta 1-D delta 2 recombination were also observed. The mutation in TCR beta gene affected the frequency of nucleotide insertions at the V delta-D delta signal joints and inhibited the formation of replacement joint. Recombination mechanism generating the replacement joint and the possible role of TCR beta in up-regulation of TCR delta gene rearrangements are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanari
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016694:Gene Rearrangement, delta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta