Analysis of the T-cell response in Zebrafish. Danio rerio

Our understanding of T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity and response tochallenge is still incomplete. For example, TCR clones shared by different individuals withminimal alteration to germline gene sequences (public clones) are detectable in all vertebrates,but their significance is unknown. We exploited the experimental advantages offered by thezebrafish to analyze the complete TCR repertoire and its response to self and foreign antigens.We found that cross-reactive public TCRs dominate the T-cell response, endowing the TCRrepertoire with the ability to cope with diverse antigenic challenges. These features of vertebratepublic TCRs provide a mechanism for the rapid generation of protective T-cell immunityallowing a short temporal window for the development of more specific private T-cell responses.