ORGANIZATION, SEQUENCE, AND FUNCTION OF 34.5 KB OF GENOMIC DNA ENCOMPASSING SEVERAL MURINE T-CELL RECEPTOR ALPHA-DELTA-VARIABLE GENE SEGMENTS

A cosmid-bearing murine genomic DNA, encompassing several T-cell receptor variable alpha/delta gene segments, has been sequenced using shotgun DNA cloning methodology coupled with fluorescence-based high-throughput DNA sequencing technology. This region, spanning 34.5 kb, contains a pseudogene Valpha gene segment (psiValpha16.1), a Vdelta gene segment (Vdelta2), and a variable gene segment that has been reported to be expressed with both Calpha (Valpha6) and Cdelta (Vdelta3). Therefore, this cosmid is the ideal vehicle for examining the possible control sequences that may be involved in determining whether a V gene segment associates with either Calpha or Cdelta. Polymerase chain reaction experiments demonstrate that the two functional variable gene segments (Vdelta and Valpha/delta) are expressed individually with both Calpha and Cdelta genes as mRNA, indicating a permissiveness in their expression patterns. In addition, a variety of genomic sequence-related features have been identified. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.