Tcra gene recombination is supported by a Tcra enhancer- and CTCF-dependent chromatin hub

摘要

T and B lymphocytes recognize and eliminate pathogens by expressing diverse cell-surface antigen receptors that are generated through the assembly of variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) gene segments at antigen receptor loci (1, 2). This process, known as "V(D)J recombination," is mediated by the recombination-activating gene-1 (RAG-1) and RAG-2 proteins and requires interactions between widely separated gene segments. However, the mechanisms that direct long-distance DNA contacts at antigen receptor loci are not well understood. T lymphocytes express either an αβ T-cell receptor (TCR) encoded by rearranged Tcra and Tcrb genes or a γδ TCR encoded by rearranged Tcrg and Tcrd genes.