The bovine T cell receptor alpha/delta locus contains over 400 V genes and encodes V genes without CDR2.
Alphabeta T cells and gammadelta T cells perform nonoverlapping immune functions. In mammalian species with a high percentage of very diverse gammadelta T cells, like ruminants and pigs, it is often assumed that alphabeta T cells are less diverse than gammadelta T cells. Based on the bovine genome, we have created a map of the bovine TRA/TRD locus and show that, in cattle, in addition to the anticipated >100 TRDV genes, there are also >300 TRAV or TRAV/DV genes. Among the V genes in the TRA/TRD locus, there are several genes that lack a CDR2 and are functionally rearranged and transcribed and, in some cases, have an extended CDR1. The number of bovine V genes is a multiple of the number in mice and humans and may encode T cell receptors that use a novel way of interacting with antigen.
Reinink
Peter
P
Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Van Rhijn
Ildiko
I
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; D019673:Genes, T-Cell Receptor alpha; D019676:Genes, T-Cell Receptor delta; D006801:Humans; D055261:Immunogenetic Phenomena; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta