T cell receptor J alpha repertoire analysis of V alpha2 and V alpha14 in wild type and Traj18-deletion mice.. Mus musculus

A TCR alpha chain,V alpha14-J alpha18 (Trav11-Traj18), is selectively used in invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells among alpha beta T cells. We have generated four lines, 1-1L, 1-1S, 1-2, and 2-1, of Traj18-deletion C57BL/6 mice by CRISPR/Cas9 and analyzed usage of Traj in CD4+ CD8+ CD69+ thymocytes by comparing the cells from wild type mice. We chose V alpha2-C alpha (Trav14-Trac) as a representative TCR alpha in alpha beta T cells and V alpha14-C alpha (Trav11-Trac) which contains iNKT-TCR alpha. Traj usage of V alpha2-C alpha in Traj18-deletion mice was same as wild type while V alpha14-C alpha has selective loss of Traj18, suggesting Traj18-deletion mice specifically lack iNKT cells but no influences in the development of alpha beta T cells.