| First Author | Viret C | Year | 2000 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 165 |
| Issue | 6 | Pages | 3004-14 |
| PubMed ID | 10975809 | Mgi Jnum | J:64534 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1889456 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.165.6.3004 |
| Citation | Viret C, et al. (2000) A NK1.1+ thymocyte-derived TCR beta-chain transgene promotes positive selection of thymic NK1.1+ alphabeta T cells. J Immunol 165(6):3004-14 |
| abstractText | As a consequence of the peptide specificity of intrathymic positive selection, mice transgenic for a rearranged TCR beta-chain derived from conventional alphabeta T lymphocytes frequently carry mature T cells with significant skewing in the repertoire of the companion alpha-chain. To assess the generality of such an influence, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice expressing a beta-chain derived from nonclassical, NK1.1+ alphabeta T cells, the thymus-derived, CD1. 1-specific DN32H6 T cell hybridoma. Results of the sequence analysis of genomic DNA from developing DN32H6 beta Tg thymocytes revealed that the frequency of the parental alpha-chain sequence, in this instance the Valpha14-Jalpha281 canonical alpha-chain, is specifically and in a CD1.1-dependent manner, increased in the postselection thymocyte population. In accordance, we found phenotypic and functional evidence for an increased frequency of thymic, but interestingly not peripheral, NK1.1+ alphabeta T cells in DN32H6 beta Tg mice, possibly indicating a thymic determinant-dependent maintenance. Thus, in vivo expression of the rearranged TCR beta-chain from a thymus-derived NK1.1+ Valpha14+ T cell hybridoma promotes positive selection of thymic NK1.1+ alphabeta T cells. These observations indicate that the strong influence of productive beta-chain rearrangements on the TCR sequence and specificity of developing thymocytes, which operates through positive selection on self-determinants, applies to both classical and nonclassical alphabeta T cells and therefore represents a general phenomenon in intrathymic alphabeta T lymphocyte development. |
