ORGANIZATION, SEQUENCE, AND FUNCTION OF 34.5 KB OF GENOMIC DNA ENCOMPASSING SEVERAL MURINE T-CELL RECEPTOR ALPHA-DELTA-VARIABLE GENE SEGMENTS

A cosmid-bearing murine genomic DNA, encompassing several T-cell recep tor variable alpha/delta gene segments, has been sequenced using shotg un DNA cloning methodology coupled with fluorescence-based high-throug hput DNA sequencing technology. This region, spanning 34.5 kb, contain s a pseudogene Valpha gene segment (psiValpha16.1), a Vdelta gene segm ent (Vdelta2), and a variable gene segment that has been reported to b e expressed with both Calpha (Valpha6) and Cdelta (Vdelta3). Therefore , this cosmid is the ideal vehicle for examining the possible control sequences that may be involved in determining whether a V gene segment associates with either Calpha or Cdelta. Polymerase chain reaction ex periments demonstrate that the two functional variable gene segments ( Vdelta and Valpha/delta) are expressed individually with both Calpha a nd Cdelta genes as mRNA, indicating a permissiveness in their expressi on patterns. In addition, a variety of genomic sequence-related featur es have been identified. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.