Porcine T cell receptor repertoire

Pigs are the only common livestock species known to express CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. We exploited that porcine iNKT cells can be detected using a mouse CD1d-tetramer reagent loaded with the prototypic iNKT cell ligand, α-galactosylceramide to characterize the T cell receptor (TCR) usage of iNKT cells compared to conventional αβ T cells (Tconv). Using a TCR sequencing approach that does not require prior knowledge of any V sequences, we characterized the pig iNKT cell and Tconv TCR repertoire.