Intra‐ and extra‐thymic expression of the pre‐T cell receptor α gene

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Abstract
We have analyzed pre‐T cell receptor α (pTα) gene expression in cells from various anatomical sites to investigate the lineage specificity of pTα RNA as well as its presence in pro‐T cells and in sites of extrathymic T cell development. pTα RNA is found in precursors of αβ T cells but is absent from mature αβ T cells as well as T cells that express the γδ T cell receptor on the cell surface. pTα expression is exquisitely T lineage specific in that mature and immature B cells, myeloid cells, NK cells and pluripotent stem cells are pTα negative. On the other hand, pTα expression is found in pro‐T cells outside the thymus as well as in intra‐ and extra‐thymic sites of T cell development. The latter finding is consistent with the notion that early steps of T cell development within and outside the thymus may be similar.