SEQUENCE AND DIVERSITY OF VARIABLE GENE SEGMENTS CODING FOR RABBIT T-CELL RECEPTOR-BETA CHAINS

The nucleotide sequences of 11 variable gene segments coding for rabbi t T-cell receptor beta (Tcrb-V) chains were determined by directly seq uencing fragments amplified by the cassette-ligation mediated polymera se chain reaction (CLM-PCR) and by modified anchor PCR without the clo ning procedure. The nucleotide sequences in two of these 11 rabbit Tcr b-V gene segments coincided with those in two of the four rabbit Tcrb- V gene segments previously reported; the others have not been describe d. The percentage similarity of each nucleotide sequence of the 11 rab bit Tcrb-V gene segments was analyzed and the segments were divided in to nine families, which were homologous to nine human families (Vb 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 18, and 22), respectively.