Onset of T-cell receptor V beta 8.1 and D beta 2.1 V(D)J recombination during thymus development of inbred mouse strains

The assembling of T-cell receptor (TCR alpha/beta and gamma/delta) genes de pends on the V(D)J recombination occurring in early thymocytes during thymu s ontogeny. The V(D)J recombination reaction is directed by a recombinase c omplex from the RAG-1 and RAG-2 genes, and is modulated by several other ge ne products. Due to the essential role of the TCR beta in thymocyte differe ntiation, it is important to define with precision the temporal emergence o f the TCR beta recombination in normal non-manipulated mouse strains. We an alysed the onset of V(D)J recombination between TCRV beta 8.1 and J beta 2. 1 gene segments during fetal development of the thymus in three non-manipul ated inbred strains of mice; BALB-c, C57BL/6 and CBA. We show that the emer gence of the V(D)J recombination at the TCR beta locus differs among strain s, suggesting an in vivo role of the different genetic backgrounds in drivi ng gene rearrangements. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.