Quantitative and qualitative changes in V-J alpha rearrangements during mouse thymocytes differentiation: implication for a limited T cell receptor alpha chain repertoire.

ABSTRACT: Knowledge of the complete nucleotide sequence of the mouse TCRAD locus allows an accurate determination V-J rearrangement status. Using multiplex genomic PCR assays and real time PCR analysis, we report a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the V-J recombination of TCR alpha chain in normal mouse thymocytes during development. These respective qualitative and quantitative approaches give rise to four major points describing the control of gene rearrangements. (a) The V-J recombination pattern is not random during ontogeny and generates a limited TCR alpha repertoire; (b) V-J rearrangement control is intrinsic to the thymus; (c) each V gene rearranges to a set of contiguous J segments with a gaussian-like frequency; (d) there are more rearrangements involving V genes at the 3' side tha

SUBMITTER: Pasqual N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2194109 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature