The somatic assembly of antigen receptor genes by V(D)J recombination is essential for the generation of diverse antigen receptor repertoires on T and B lymphocytes. V(D)J recombination at the T cell receptor β (Tcrb) locus is strictly regulated and is activated and inactivated during T lymphocyte development in a manner that promotes allelic exclusion. However the mechanisms that regulate Tcrb locus recombination and allelic exclusion are only partly understood. This project will address unexplored aspects of Tcrb locus regulation that are of fundamental importance for the integrity of the Tcrb locus V(D)J recombination program.
Specific Aim I will test the hypothesis that appropriate developmental activation of Tcrb locus chromatin for V(D)J recombination requires mechanisms that open chromatin as well as mechanisms that suppress the influence of nearby repressive chromatin. A retroviral LTR has been localized to a discrete boundary between repressive and active chromatin domains, and this LTR or an adjacent LINE appears to drive transcription across the active chromatin domain. To evaluate the importance of these elements for Tcrb locus regulation, the LTR/LINE region will be functionally dissected to discriminate components contributing to chromatin barrier and transcriptional activity. Functional significance for Tcrb gene recombination in vivo will be assessed by using gene targeting to eliminate components required for barrier function, promoter activity, or both.
Specific Aim II will test the hypothesis that Tcrb association with the nuclear lamina suppresses Vβ-to-DJβ recombination in a manner that promotes asynchronous allelic recombination, thereby setting the stage for allelic exclusion. Interactions between Tcrb alleles and the nuclear lamina will be probed using four-color, three dimensional immuno-fluorescence in situ hybridization (3D Immuno-FISH) and DamID to evaluate whether the Tcrb locus adopts distinct conformations at the nuclear lamina that are suppressive or permissive for Vβ-to-DJβ recombination. A suppressive influence of the nuclear lamina on V(D)J recombination will then be directly assessed by recruiting to the nuclear lamina a TCR locus that is normally free of this compartment. This will be accomplished by using gene targeting to introduce a lac operator (lacO) array into the Tcra/Tcrd locus and by expressing lac repressor (lacI) as a fusion protein with a component of the nuclear lamina. Successful completion of this work should provide insights into the mechanisms that regulate both Dβ-to-Jβ and Vβ-to-DJβ recombination and insights into allelic regulation that will be valuable for understanding the recombination programs at other TCR and Ig loci. A successful outcome should also provide fundamental insights into retroelement and barrier-type insulator function that will impact our understanding of similar elements that are widely distributed across the genome, and important and broadly applicable insights into the role of the nuclear lamina as a regulator of gene activity.

Public Health Relevance

Health relatedness V(D)J recombination is essential for the development of a functional immune system. Failure of V(D)J recombination can cause immunodeficiency and disregulated V(D)J recombination can result in autoimmunity or chromosomal translocations that contribute to tumorigenesis. These studies will elucidate basic mechanisms that contribute to normal immune system development and pathologies such as immunodeficiency, autoimmunity and cancer.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI049934-15
Application #
8841659
Study Section
Cellular and Molecular Immunology - A Study Section (CMIA)
Program Officer
Prabhudas, Mercy R
Project Start
2001-07-01
Project End
2017-05-31
Budget Start
2015-06-01
Budget End
2017-05-31
Support Year
15
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Duke University
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
044387793
City
Durham
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27705
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Rupp, Levi J; Chen, Liang; Krangel, Michael S et al. (2016) Molecular Analysis of Mouse T Cell Receptor ? and ? Gene Rearrangements. Methods Mol Biol 1323:179-202
Majumder, Kinjal; Koues, Olivia I; Chan, Elizabeth A W et al. (2015) Lineage-specific compaction of Tcrb requires a chromatin barrier to protect the function of a long-range tethering element. J Exp Med 212:107-20
Tubbs, Anthony T; Dorsett, Yair; Chan, Elizabeth et al. (2014) KAP-1 promotes resection of broken DNA ends not protected by ?-H2AX and 53BP1 in G?-phase lymphocytes. Mol Cell Biol 34:2811-21
Chan, Elizabeth A W; Teng, Grace; Corbett, Elizabeth et al. (2013) Peripheral subnuclear positioning suppresses Tcrb recombination and segregates Tcrb alleles from RAG2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110:E4628-37
Carabana, Juan; Watanabe, Akiko; Hao, Bingtao et al. (2011) A barrier-type insulator forms a boundary between active and inactive chromatin at the murine TCR? locus. J Immunol 186:3556-62
Kondilis-Mangum, Hrisavgi D; Shih, Han-Yu; Mahowald, Grace et al. (2011) Regulation of TCRýý allelic exclusion by gene segment proximity and accessibility. J Immunol 187:6374-81
Kondilis-Mangum, Hrisavgi D; Cobb, Robin Milley; Osipovich, Oleg et al. (2010) Transcription-dependent mobilization of nucleosomes at accessible TCR gene segments in vivo. J Immunol 184:6970-7
Ji, Yanhong; Little, Alicia J; Banerjee, Joydeep K et al. (2010) Promoters, enhancers, and transcription target RAG1 binding during V(D)J recombination. J Exp Med 207:2809-16

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