Paired cloning of the T cell receptor alpha and beta genes from a single T cell without the establishment of a T cell clone

Clin Exp Immunol. 2001 Feb;123(2):340-5. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2249.2001.01437.x.

Abstract

T cell receptors, which recognize antigen peptides on MHC molecules, are essential probes for the analysis of T cell antigen specificity. The identification of paired T cell receptor (TCR) chains, alpha/beta or gamma/delta, usually requires the establishment of T cell clones, which is not always available. In this study, we tried, as an alternative method, the paired cloning of TCR alpha/beta genes directly from a single T cell. T cells were sorted as a single cell from which RNA was extracted. Then, TCR alpha/beta CDR3 regions were amplified from the single cell-derived cDNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to determine their sequences. We successfully identified pairs of TCR alpha/beta genes, and reconstructed the TCR molecule by a bacterial expression system. This strategy makes it possible to obtain recombinant TCR molecules from a single T cell without cellular cloning and promotes the investigation of T cell antigen specificity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Differentiation
  • Clone Cells
  • Cloning, Molecular / methods*
  • Humans
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / genetics*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*

Substances

  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta