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Horse (Equus caballus) T-cell receptor alpha, gamma, and delta chain genes: nucleotide sequences and tissue-specific gene expression

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Abstract

Horse (Equus caballus) T-cell receptor alpha (TCRA), gamma (TCRG), and delta (TCRD) chain genes were isolated from a cDNA library and characterized. Five unique TCRAV families, including four full-length sequences, five distinct TCRAJ genes, and a single TCRAC gene were identified. TCRAV genes had closest homology with human sequences and least similarity to rat genes. Among eight horse TCRG genes, two distinct constant region genes with considerable variation in the connecting region were identified, but hybridization confirmed the presence of at least two TCRGC genes and indicated that the vast majority of horse αβ T cells rearrange either one or both TCRG alleles. Analysis of horse TCRD genes revealed the presence of eight unique TCRDV genes representing seven families, each having closest nucleotide homology with sheep sequences. Six unique TCRDJ genes were isolated; however, four of these sequences differed by only one base pair and thus likely represented allelles of a single gene. One horse TCRDC gene was present among fifteen clones analyzed and, based on Southern blot hybridizations, was deleted in polyclonal αβ T-cell populations, indicating that the TCRD locus is probably locatd within the TCRA locus as in other species. Polymerase chain reaction using horse-specific primers for the detection of TCRAC and TCRDC gene expression indicated that γδ T cells are located at numerous sites throughout the body, and with the exception of bone marrow where only TCRAC transcripts were detected, are closely associated with αβ T-cells. This finding indicates that these two T-cell populations may be functionally interactive.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine Department of Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology Davis, University of California, 95616, CA, USA

    M. D. Schrenzel & D. A. Ferrick

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  1. M. D. Schrenzel
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  2. D. A. Ferrick
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Additional information

The nucleotide sequence data reported in this Papershave been submitted to the GenBank nucleotide sequence database and have been assigned the accession numbers L38384-L38393, L38315, L38316, L38355, L38383, and L38398-L38401.

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Schrenzel, M.D., Ferrick, D.A. Horse (Equus caballus) T-cell receptor alpha, gamma, and delta chain genes: nucleotide sequences and tissue-specific gene expression. Immunogenetics 42, 112–122 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00178585

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00178585

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