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Genomic organization of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) T cell receptor alpha/delta locus and analysis of expressed products

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Abstract

In testing the hypothesis that all jawed vertebrate classes employ immunoglobulin heavy chain V (IgHV) gene segments in their T cell receptor (TCR)δ encoding loci, we found that some basic characterization was required of zebrafish TCRδ. We began by annotating and characterizing the TCRα/δ locus of Danio rerio based on the most recent genome assembly, GRCz10. We identified a total of 141 theoretically functional V segments which we grouped into 41 families based upon 70 % nucleotide identity. This number represents the second greatest count of apparently functional V genes thus far described in an antigen receptor locus with the exception of cattle TCRα/δ. Cloning, relative quantitative PCR, and deep sequencing results corroborate that zebrafish do express TCRδ, but these data suggest only at extremely low levels and in limited diversity in the spleens of the adult fish. While we found no evidence for IgH-TCRδ rearrangements in this fish, by determining the locus organization we were able to suggest how the evolution of the teleost α/δ locus could have lost IgHVs that exist in sharks and frogs. We also found evidence of surprisingly low TCRδ expression and repertoire diversity in this species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Comparative Immunogenetics Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Stacie L. Seelye, Patricia L. Chen, Thaddeus C. Deiss & Michael F. Criscitiello

  2. Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA

    Michael F. Criscitiello

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  1. Stacie L. Seelye
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  2. Patricia L. Chen
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  3. Thaddeus C. Deiss
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  4. Michael F. Criscitiello
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Correspondence to Michael F. Criscitiello.

Additional information

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation through a grant to MFC (IOS 1257829).

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Seelye, S.L., Chen, P.L., Deiss, T.C. et al. Genomic organization of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) T cell receptor alpha/delta locus and analysis of expressed products. Immunogenetics 68, 365–379 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-016-0904-3

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