| Abstract
| - The genetic element ‘T early α’ (TEA) in humans is located immediately 5′ to the most upstream joining segment (ψJα) of the TCR α chain locus. The TEA transcript is present early in thymocyte ontogeny and the TEA-associated deletion of the TCR δ locus (δRec/ψJαrearrangement) precedes Vα/Jα rearrangement. We detected a 1.8 kb transcript homologous to human TEA that is spliced to Cα in mouse thymic lymphomas showing concomitant rearrangement and expression of TCR γ, δ, β, and α. The TEA expression was highest in day 17 fetal thymocytes and declined thereafter. This expression parallels the TCR α gene expression which is preceded by TCR γ expression, and followed by the expression of TCR β and α genes.
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