title: Characterization of the CD3zeta, CD3gammadelta and CD3epsilon subunits of the T cell receptor complex in Atlantic salmon.
abstract: The CD3 subunits are essential components of the T cell receptor complex, transmitting signals to the inside of the cell. We report here cDNAs and corresponding genes encoding CD3zeta, CD3gammadelta and CD3epsilon in Atlantic salmon, and real-time RT-PCR analysis to reveal their tissue-specific expression. Salmon CD3zeta is the subunit that shows the highest sequence similarity to the mammalian counterparts, comprising of a short extracellular (EX) part, a transmembrane (TM) peptide and a long cytoplasmic (CY) tail with three immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs). The gene encoding CD3zeta in salmon has 7 exons. Salmon CD3gammadelta (a forerunner of CD3gamma and CD3delta in mammals) and CD3epsilon are related molecules each having an Ig-like EX domain, a TM peptide and a CY tail with one ITAM. Two distinct CD3gammadelta genes were found, each having 6 exons. The gene encoding CD3epsilon in salmon has 5 exons. RT-PCR also revealed a transcript from a degenerated CD3epsilon gene in salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (Salmo trutta). This pseudogene is located tail to tail to a CD3gammadelta gene in salmon and has a typical CD3epsilon gene structure with the exception of 1 extra exon. All the CD3 genes in salmon were most abundantly expressed in thymus but the expression of the CD3epsilon pseudogene was only a fraction of that from the intact CD3epsilon gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lindsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Erling Olaf
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Koppang
authors.forename: Ivar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hordvik
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D020317:Salmo salar / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; C452842:CD3 antigen, gamma chain; C121704:CD3 antigen, zeta chain; C472562:CD3delta antigen; D021122:Protein Subunits; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell