S. Partula et al., IDENTIFICATION OF CDNA CLONES ENCODING TH E T-CELL RECEPTOR-BETA CHAIN IN THE RAINBOW-TROUT (ONCORHYNCHUS-MYKISS), Comptes rendus de l'Academie des sciences. Serie 3, Sciences de la vie, 317(8), 1994, pp. 765-770
Using a two-step PCR strategy, we have cloned several cDNA segments en
coding the T-cell receptor beta chain in a Teleost fish, the rainbow t
rout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The nine clones analyzed encode identical
N-terminal V beta regions which present limited sequence similarities
with several mammalian TcR V beta chains, from residue Tyr-35 to resid
ue Ser-95. These V beta regions are followed by V beta-D beta-J beta-l
ike regions which are different in all the sequenced clones, and by id
entical C beta regions. The trout C beta domain (156 amino acids) is m
ost related to the chicken and to amphibian (axolotl) C beta domains b
ut no cysteine residue appears in the hinge region. Like in other vert
ebrae C beta s, the TM region carries a positively charged lysine resi
due (Lys-271). The intracytoplasmic domain is virtually absent. The po
ssibility to analyze the structure, expression and diversity of a T-ce
ll receptor chain in a Teleost fish model will be important for our fu
ture understanding of the evolution of specific immune recognition in
vertebrates.