Dominant expression of a distinctive V14+ T-cell antigen receptor α chain in mice

Haruhiko Koseki, Hidefumi Asano, Tsuneyoshi Inaba, Nobumoto Miyashita, Kazuo Moriwaki, Kirsten Fischer Lindahl, Yoko Mizutani, Kenji Imai, Masaru Taniguchi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

106 Scopus citations

Abstract

A distinctive variable region 14-positive (V14+) α chain (Vα14+) of the T-cell antigen receptor is predominantly expressed in multiple mouse subspecies. The Vα14 family has two members, Vα4.1 and Vα14.2, which differ by only three amino acids at positions 50-52. Based on the EcoRI restriction fragment length polymorphism of the gene encoding Vα14, mice can be divided into three groups: type I with an 11.2-kilobase (kb) fragment, type II with a 2.0-kb fragment, and type III with the 2.0-kb and 11.2-kb fragments. Usage of Vα14-Jα281, where Jα281 is an α-chain joining segment, with a one-base N region dominates at the level of 0.02-1.5% of α chains in all laboratory strains, Mus musculus castaneus, and Mus musculus domesticus but not in Mus musculus molossinus, Mus musculus musculus, and Mus spicilegus samples. The preferential Vα14-Jα281 expression seems to be due to positive selection because the V-J junctional region is always glycine, despite the ability of the Vα14 gene to associate with Ja other than Jα281. As Vα14-Jα281 expression is independent of known major histocompatibility complex antigens, including H-2, TLA, Qa, and HMT, the selecting ligand must be a monomorphic molecule of the mouse, expressed in a subspecies-specific manner. Additional observations, such as the expression of homogeneous Vα14-Jα281 in athymic mice, suggest that the positive selection of Vα14+ T cells occurs extrathymically.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7518-7522
Number of pages5
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume88
Issue number17
StatePublished - 1991

Keywords

  • Extrathymic-positive selection
  • Homogeneous variable-joining region junction
  • Variable region 14 genes
  • Wild mice

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Dominant expression of a distinctive V14+ T-cell antigen receptor α chain in mice'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this