Complexity and sequence identification of 24 rat V beta genes |
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Authors: | L R Smith D H Kono A N Theofilopoulos |
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Institution: | Department of Immunology, Research Institute of Scripps Clinic, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, CA 92037. |
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Abstract: | Twenty-four TCR V beta genes were cloned by anchored PCR from the Lewis rat strain and identified by nucleotide and amino acid sequence comparisons to known mouse V beta genes. Rat V beta genes exist in 17 single-member and 3 multimember subfamilies and exhibit 86 to 94 and 72 to 92% nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarities, respectively, to their mouse counterparts. A single rat gene, designated V beta 20, having no previously known mouse counterpart was identified; a closely related gene was subsequently isolated from the C57BL/6 mouse strain. Characterization of the rV beta genes provides the basis for addressing rat T cell tolerance mechanisms and V beta gene usage in immunologically mediated rat disease models. |
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