Concomitant T-cell receptor alpha and delta gene rearrangements in individual T-cell precursors

A debate has recently surfaced concerning the degree of precommitment attained by alpha beta and gamma delta T-cell precursors prior to T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement. It has been suggested that precursors may be precommitted to rearrange either alpha or delta genes, but not both, thus giving rise to alpha beta- and gamma delta-producing T cells, respectively. Alternatively, the precursors may be flexible with regard to potential TCR gene rearrangements. To address this controversy, the gene rearrangements among a group of T-cell hybridomas from fetal, newborn, and early postnatal mouse thymi were examined. Six probes spanning the delta and alpha loci were used in Southern blot analyses to characterize the rearrangements which occurred on homologous chromosomes in each cell. Although homologous chromosomes often rearranged in synchrony within the alpha locus, a number of hybridomas were found which had retained a delta rearrangement on one chromosome and an alpha rearrangement on the second. Results show that a precommitment by T cells to rearrange delta or alpha genes in a mutually exclusive manner is not an absolute feature of mouse thymocyte development.