Functional T cell receptor δ chain gene messages in athymic nude mice

Abstract

The rearrangement and expression of T cell antigen receptor (TcR) δ chain genes were investigated in congenitally athymic nude mice. The lymphoid cells derived from nude mice showed evidence of rearranged δ chain genes and a relatively high level of δ chain gene messages. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that nude mice contained an in‐frame δ chain transcript, composed of V_δ5‐D_δ1‐D_δ2‐J_δ1‐C_δ genes in the spleen. We have previously described functionally rearranged TcR γchain genes in the spleen of nude mice. Taken together, T cell precursors appear to proliferate and differentiate along the extrathymic pathway into TcR γ/δ‐bearing T cells in nude mice.