The dynamic TCR: TCR chains in the amphibian Xenopus tropicalis utilize antibody-like V genes. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The content and organization of the Xenopus tropicalis TCR/ locus was determined. This locus is highly conserved among tetrapods, with the genes encoding the TCR chains embedded with those encoding TCR. However, the frog TCR/ is unusual in that it contains V genes that appear indistinguishable from those in the IgH locus (VH). These V genes, termed VH, make up 70% of the V genes at the TCR locus and are expressed exclusively in TCR chains. Finding TCR chains that use antibody-like V domains in frogs is similar to the situation in shark TCR variants and TCR in marsupials. These results suggest that such unconventional TCR may be more widespread across vertebrate lineages than originally thought and raise the possibility of previously unrealized subsets of T cells. We also revealed close linkage of TCR/, IgH, and Ig in Xenopus which, in combination with linkage analyses in other species, is consistent with the previous models for the emergence of these antigen receptor loci.

published proceedings

  • Eur J Immunol

author list (cited authors)

  • Parra, Z. E., Ohta, Y., Criscitiello, M. F., Flajnik, M. F., & Miller, R. D.

citation count

  • 43

complete list of authors

  • Parra, Zuly E||Ohta, Yuko||Criscitiello, Michael F||Flajnik, Martin F||Miller, Robert D

publication date

  • August 2010

publisher