Premium
T‐cell receptors in ectothermic vertebrates
Author(s) -
Charlemagne Jacques,
Fellah Julien S.,
Guerra Arnaud De,
Kerfourn Fabienne,
Partula Sylvie
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
immunological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.839
H-Index - 223
eISSN - 1600-065X
pISSN - 0105-2896
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1998.tb01255.x
Subject(s) - t cell receptor , biology , vertebrate , evolutionary biology , major histocompatibility complex , phylogenetics , conserved sequence , receptor , ectotherm , homologous chromosome , genetics , gene , t cell , microbiology and biotechnology , immune system , zoology , peptide sequence
Summary: The structure and expression of genes encoding molecules homologous to mammalian T‐cell receptors (TCR) have been recently studied in ectothermic vertebrate species representative of chondrychthians, teleosts, and amphibians. The overall TCR chain structure is well conserved in phylogeny: TCRβ‐ and TCRα‐like chains were detected in all the species analyzed; TCRγ‐ and TCRS‐like chains were also present in a chondrychthian species. The diversity potential of the variable (V) and joining (J) segments is rather large and, as in mammals, conserved diversity (D) segment are associated to the TCRβ and TCR5 chains. An important level of junctional diversity occurred at the V‐(D)‐J junctions, with the potential addition of N‐ and P‐nucleotides. Thus, the conservation of the structure and of the potential of diversity of TCR molecules have been under a permanent selective pressure during vertebrate evolution. The structure of MHC class I and class II molecules was also well conserved in jawed vertebrates. TCR and MFJC molecules are strongly functionally linked and play a determinant role in the initiation and the regulation of the specific immune responses; thus, it is not surprising that their structures have been reciprocally frozen during evolution.