Rearrangement and Transcription of a T-Cell Receptor β -Chain Gene in Different T-Cell Subsets

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 82; no. 2; pp. 531 - 535
• Main Authors: Hedrick, Stephen M., Germain, Ronald N., Bevan, Michael J., Dorf, Martin, Engel, Isaac, Fink, Pamela, Gascoigne, Nick, Heber-Katz, Ellen, Kapp, Judith, Kaufmann, Yael, Kaye, Jonathan, Melchers, Fritz, Pierce, Carl, Schwartz, Ronald H., Sorensen, Craig, Taniguchi, Masaru, Davis, Mark M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01.01.1985; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Animals; Antigens; Biological and medical sciences; Cell lines; Columbidae; DNA; DNA - analysis; DNA Restriction Enzymes - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Gene rearrangement; Genes; Genetic loci; Genetics of the immune response; Germ cells; Hybridomas; Immunobiology; lymphocytes T; Receptors; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - genetics; RNA - analysis; RNA biosynthesis; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - analysis; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - analysis; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - analysis; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - analysis; Transcription, Genetic; Human; Lymphoid cell; Transcription; Beta-Peptide chain; Helper cell; Cytotoxicity; Gene expression; Cell subpopulation; Antigen; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Gene; Animal; T-Lymphocyte; Gene rearrangement; Suppressive cell; Biological receptor
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.82.2.531

The functionally defined sets of T lymphocytes--helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells, and suppressor T cells--were examined for the possible involvement of a recently identified T-cell receptor β gene locus in receptor formation. Since gene rearrangements are required for functional gene expression, cloned T-cell lines from each of the groups were surveyed for the expression of unique gene rearrangements. In addition, cell lines that showed gene rearrangements were further tested for the expression of the mature 1.2- to 1.3- kilobase mRNA transcribed from a productive gene rearrangement. The results of such experiments show that helper and cytotoxic T cells may use a common β chain of the receptor, whereas suppressor cells do so rarely, if at all.