The combined T-cell receptor α and δ locus, Tcra/Tcrd, encodes the TCRα and TCRδ chains of the αβ or γδ T-cell receptors (TCRαβ and TCRγδ), respectively, which define the two distinct T-cell lineages, αβ and γδ T lymphocytes. Like other antigen receptor loci, this locus must recombine its variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) gene segments to generate a diverse range of TCR that allow vertebrates to respond to an unlimited number of antigens. The Tcra/Tcrd germline transcription and subsequent V(D)J gene segment rearrangements are strictly regulated by two distant transcriptional enhancers, Eα and Eδ, respectively, during thymocyte development. Once the Tcra locus is productively rearranged, it is assumed Eα remains active for the transcription of the rearranged locus and the expression of the functional TCRα chain in αβ T lymphocytes. However, our recent experiments have shown Eα is significantly inhibited during the final stage of thymocyte development, concomitantly with the expression of the rearranged Tcra locus, and remains inhibited in αβ T lymphocytes. These results imply the existence of an Eα-independent mechanism to activate transcription of the rearranged Tcra locus in αβ T lymphocytes. Interestingly, Eα is essential for the normal expression of the rearranged Tcrd locus in γδ T lymphocytes. In this review, the current knowledge about the regulation of Tcra/Tcrd germline transcription and gene segment rearrangement during thymocyte development and the possible mechanisms for transcription of the rearranged Tcra locus in mature αβ T lymphocytes are discussed. The knowledge of the detailed mechanisms involved in the regulation of transcription at the Tcra/Tcrd locus by distant enhancers is important to understand the cases in which deregulation this process results in disease.
Keywords: Transcription; T-cell receptor; V(D)J recombination; Enhancer
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Temporal Control of TCR Gene RearrangementsDuring thymic T-cell development (Figure 1), early T-cell progenitors (ETP) arising from fetal liver or bone marrow enter to the thymus, where they mature progressively through different stages that can be distinguished based on the expression of the CD4 and CD8 surface markers: CD4-CD8-double-negative (DN) thymocytes, immature single-positive (ISP) CD8 + thymocytes, CD4 + CD8 + doublepositive (DP) thymocytes, and CD4 + or CD8 + single-positive (SP) thymocytes [1]. Among the DN thymocyte population, four subpopulations can be further distinguished based on the expression of CD25 and CD44 surface markers: DN1 (CD44 + CD25 -), DN2 (CD44 + CD25 + ), DN3 (CD44 -CD25 + ), and DN4 (CD44 -CD25 -) thymocytes. In addition, two DN3 subpopulations can be distinguished based on the expression of CD27: DN3a (CD27 low ) and DN3b (CD27 high ) thymocytes [2]. Furthermore, two DP thymocyte populations can be distinguished based on the expression of CD71: early DP (eDP) (CD71 + ) and late DP (lDP) (CD71 -) thymocytes [3]. For αβ T-cell development, thymocytes transition from DN1 to SP thymocytes by matu...