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A C Diener

Publications and source records attributed to A C Diener.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Differential regulation of T-cell receptor processing and surface expression affected by CD3 theta, an alternatively spliced product of the CD3 zeta/eta gene locus.

The T-cell receptor (TCR) is a multisubunit complex consisting of the clonotypic Ti alpha and beta (or Ti gamma and delta) subunits and the invariant CD3 gamma, CD3 delta, CD3 epsilon, CD3 zeta, and CD3 eta subunits. Herein, we describe an additional product from the CD3 zeta/eta gene locus which we have termed CD3 theta. The cDNA derives from the first seven exons common to CD3 zeta and CD3 eta, 94 base pairs (bp) of the CD3 eta-specific exon 9 and an additional exon 10 encoding the carboxyl-terminal 15 amino acids and the 3'-untranslated region. The expression of CD3 theta is equivalent to that of CD3 eta in tissue distribution and level of expression as judged by RNase protection analysis. Despite the identity of the amino-terminal 121 amino acids of CD3 zeta, CD3 eta, and CD3 theta and an additional 31 amino acids shared between CD3 eta and CD3 theta, transfection of CD3 theta into the CD3 zeta- eta- T-cell hybridoma, MA5.8, failed to restore detectable surface TCR expression in contrast to transfection with CD3 zeta or CD3 eta. Analysis of the CD3 theta protein in transfectants indicated that CD3 theta is associated with the TCR intracellularly. However, unlike with CD3 zeta, Ti alpha-beta chains remain endoglycosidase H sensitive, suggesting a role for the unique COOH-terminal segment of CD3 theta in mediating TCR retention and/or degradation in a pre-Golgi compartment.

Alternative Splicing

Human genomic sequences corresponding to murine CD3 eta-related transcripts: lack of conservation or expression of homologous human products.

We have cloned and sequenced human genomic DNA homologous to exons 9 and 10 of the CD3 zeta/eta/theta locus. Although there are open reading frames within the human sequences corresponding to the translated portions of murine exons 9 and 10, we find no evidence of conservation of the encoded polypeptide product. Furthermore, using oligonucleotides derived from these homologous sequences, we are unable to detect human CD3 eta- or CD3 theta-like transcripts by polymerase chain reaction amplification of reverse-transcribed RNA from a variety of human lymphoid tissues. Despite the absence of evidence for conservation of human CD3 eta and CD3 theta, there is a surprising degree of similarity between human and murine nucleotide sequences, not only for exons 9 and 10 (78% and 70%, respectively), but also for the 9/10 intron (71%). A possible mechanism for this conservation is discussed.

Animals

T-cell-receptor isoforms.

Early work on T-cell hybridomas lacking the T-cell-receptor (TCR) sub-unit CD3 eta had suggested a correlation between the presence of CD3 zeta-eta heterodimers and signalling leading to phosphatidyl-inositol (PI) turnover as well as activation-induced cell death. The cloning of CD3 eta has now allowed thorough and direct analysis of the signal transduction properties of CD3 zeta-zeta-, CD3 zeta-eta- and CD3 eta-eta-containing TCRs. We have found that all forms of the TCR are capable of transducing signals leading to PI turnover, Ca2+ mobilization, IL-2 production and cell-cycle arrest. CD3 zeta and CD3 eta utilize the same promoter which yields coordinate expression of both products, so that restricted CD3 eta expression in a sub-population of thymocytes is unlikely. Immunohistochemical methods employing an anti-CD3 eta-specific monoclonal antibody (MAb) show no detectable staining of thymic sections from adult mice, implying at best a low level of constitutive CD3 eta expression. In contrast, CD3 eta expression is readily detected in the majority of cortical thymocytes of CD3 eta transgenic mice using a Thy-1 promoter construct. However, over-expression of CD3 eta in mice transgenic for this polypeptide does not result in increased negative selection in vivo, consistent with the in vitro findings that induction of cell death is not strictly dependent on CD3 eta. Despite earlier reports of the detection of human CD3 eta protein, we find no CD3 eta message in human thymus or T cells. Cloning of the human CD zeta-eta genomic locus has demonstrated approximately 70% homology between the mouse and human genomic sequence, corresponding to the mouse CD3 eta-specific exon. However, translation of the DNA sequence does not result in a homologous amino acid sequence. Thus, there does not appear to be a CD3 eta protein in humans.

Animals