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Regulation of antigen‐receptor gene assembly in hagfish
Author(s) -
Kishishita Natsuko,
Matsuno Tatsuya,
Takahashi Yoshimasa,
Takaba Hiroyuki,
Nishizumi Hirofumi,
Nagawa Fumikiyo
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/embor.2009.274
Subject(s) - hagfish , lamprey , biology , gene , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , allele , genetics , lymphocyte , vertebrate , fishery
Variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs) are antigen receptors in the jawless vertebrates lamprey and hagfish. VLR genes are classified into VLRA and VLRB , and lymphocytes expressing VLRA are T‐cell‐like, whereas those expressing VLRB are B‐cell‐like in the sea lamprey. Diverse VLR genes are assembled somatically in lymphocytes; however, how the assembly is regulated is still largely unknown. Here, we analyse VLR gene assembly at the single‐cell level in the inshore hagfish ( Eptatretus burgeri ). Each lymphocyte assembles and transcribes only one type of VLR gene, either VLRA or VLRB . In general, monoallelic assembly of VLR was observed, but diallelic assembly was found in some cases—in many of which, one allele was functional and the other was defective. In fact, all VLR ‐assembled lymphocytes contained at least one functional VLR gene. Together, these results indicate a feedback inhibition of VLR assembly and selection of VLR‐positive lymphocytes.