| Abstract: | The initial T cell receptor (TCR) α gene rearrangements were analyzed in fetal and neonatal thymocyte hybridomas by Southern blotting. Interestingly, in 30% of all thymocyte hybridomas and in all fetal day 16 thymocyte hybridomas the most proximal Jα50 (ΨJα) gene was rearranged. This rearrangement was found on one chromosome only and mostly in association with a δ rearrangement on the homologous chromosome. Jα50 was rearranged to multiple target genes based on the variable size of the restriction fragments. In addition, δ rearrangement was found with a concomitant α rearrangement in the majority of hybridomas and it was not only associated with Jα50 but with several other rearranged Jα genes as well. Our results clearly demonstrate that T cell precursors are not pre-committed to either δ or α rearrangement but a flexible progenitor responds to multiple regulatory signals during T cell differentiation and they do not support the notion that δrec-ΨJα rearrangement is required for cell commitment to TCR α gene rearrangement. |
