An analysis of T-cell receptor variable region gene expression in major histocompatibility complex disparate mice.

To define the impact of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-encoded glycoproteins on the selection of the T-cell receptor repertoire, we have determined the frequency with which T-cell receptor variable region (V alpha and V beta) genes are expressed in T cells from MHC disparate mice. Approximately 500 T-cell hybridomas were generated from each of three strains of MHC congenic mice [B10 (H-2b), B10.BR (H-2k), and B10.Q (H-2q)] by fusing mitogen-stimulated lymph node T cells with the thymoma BW5147. RNA was prepared from 1629 individual hybridomas and analyzed for the expression of 10 V alpha and 16 V beta gene families. These experiments reveal significant differences in the relative contributions of 1 V alpha gene family (V alpha 3) and several V beta gene segments (V beta 5.1, -5.2, -11, and -12) to the T-cell receptor repertoire of MHC disparate mice.