Porcine T-cell receptors: molecular and biochemical characterization

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Abstract

Two subclasses of CD3 associated T-cell receptors (TcR) have been described so far, consisting of either an α and β chain (TcR αβ) or a γ and δ chain (TcR γδ). Of the two subclasses, the TcR αβ is the one predominantly expressed on peripheral T lymphocytes of humans and rodents. TcR γδ T lymphocytes represent only a minor subset in these species.

Among all mammalian species studied so far, swine showed the most diversified composition of the T-lymphocyte population characterized by the expression of CD4 and CD8 differentiation antigens. Besides CD4+CD8 and CD4CD8+ T lymphocytes, CD4+CD8+ and CD4CD8 T lymphocytes are prominent in the extrathymic T-lymphocyte compartment. Because of the lack of specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb), to date the porcine TcR can only be characterized with biochemical and molecular biological methods. TcR on porcine peripheral blood T lymphocytes with the phenotype CD4+ and/or CD8+ are characterized as 46–48 kDaR heterodimers which were supposed to represent the porcine TcR αβ. Biochemical analyses of the CD4CD8 T lymphocytes revealed three distinct TcR γδ; all are characterized by a 40 kDa δ chain but differed in their γ chains. One γ chain with a molecular mass of 38 kDaR is preferentially expressed on CD4CD8 T lymphocytes derived from peripheral blood; another chain with molecular mass of 37 kDaR is evenly distributed between CD4CD8 T lymphocytes from blood and lymphoid tissues. A third γ chain characterized by a molecular mass of 46 kDaR is expressed on CD2+CD4CD8 T lymphocytes enriched in lymphoid tissues. The molecular characterization of porcine TcR-constant regions revealed the existence of one α, possibly two β, at least three γ and one δ TcR-constant region isotypes, which show very high homology on amino acid level with the corresponding TcR chains of other species.

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Present address: Institut Pasteur, Department d'Immunologie Moleculaire 25, rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris, Cedex, France.

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