Article
- The EMBO Journal (2007) 26, 2387 - 2399
- doi:10.1038/sj.emboj.7601671
Published online: 5 April 2007
Subject Category:
Germline transcription from T-cell receptor V
gene is uncoupled from allelic exclusion
Jingquan Jia1, Motonari Kondo1 and Yuan Zhuang1
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
Correspondence to:
Yuan Zhuang, Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3010, Jones 329, Durham, NC 27710, USA. Tel.: +1 919 613 7824; Fax: +1 919 613 7853; E-mail: yzhuang@duke.edu
Received 13 November 2006; Accepted 5 March 2007
Abstract
Allelic exclusion operates in B and T lymphocytes to ensure clonal expression of antigen receptors after V(D)J recombination. Germline transcription, which proceeds V(D)J recombination, has been postulated to provide an instructive signal for allelic exclusion. Here, we use a genetic marker to track germline transcription from a V
gene within the TCR locus. We find that developing thymocytes exhibit uniformed, bi-allelic activation of the V gene before V-DJ recombination, a process subject to allelic exclusion. We further show that V-DJ rearrangement promotes activation rather than silencing of germline transcription from the remaining V genes on either the functionally or non-functionally rearranged chromosome. Results presented here suggest that germline transcription, although necessary for V(D)J recombination, is not sufficient to instruct allelic exclusion.
Keywords:
- enhancer,
- promoter,
- thymus,
- V8.2
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