Alternatively spliced, germline J alpha 11-2-C alpha mRNAs are the predominant T cell receptor alpha transcripts in mouse kidney.

We recently reported the expression of a truncated T cell receptor (TCR) alpha mRNA in kidney and brain of normal mice. In the kidney, the truncated TCR alpha transcript was expressed by bone marrow-dependent, non-T large interstitial cells located predominantly in the medulla. Here, we report the molecular characterization of the truncated TCR alpha transcript from kidney. Using a modified anchored-PCR (A-PCR) technique and directional cloning, 37 cDNA clones extending 5' of the C alpha region were generated. cDNA sequencing showed that 29 of the clones (78%) originated in the J alpha 11-2 region. Of these clones, 17 started upstream or in the J alpha 11-2 exon and contained the entire J alpha 11-2 sequence correctly spliced to the first C alpha exon. Analysis of the sequence revealed the presence of multiple stop codons in all three reading frames. The other 12 clones originated further upstream of the J alpha 11-2 exon and did not include the J alpha 11-2 exon, but rather arose from the joining of a cryptic splice donor signal to the usual TCR alpha C splice acceptor. This alternatively spliced transcript contained an open reading frame extending from the upstream J alpha 11-2 region to 82 nucleotides downstream of the beginning of the TCR C alpha region, and potentially encoded a 36 amino acid polypeptide. The remaining eight clones all contained the J alpha TA61 region correctly spliced to C alpha with two of these extending upstream of the J alpha TA61 exon. The predominance of J alpha 11-2-C alpha containing clones was confirmed by RNase protection assay using total RNA from kidney and spleen of scid mice. The 3' region of the transcript contained a fully conserved, correctly spliced TCR alpha C region which was polyadenylated at the 3' end. The truncated TCR alpha mRNA could be detected in preparations of cytoplasmic RNA, indicating that this transcript follows a normal RNA processing pathway. Our results demonstrate that the truncated TCR alpha mRNA expressed in normal mouse kidney is a germline J-C transcript resulting from transcription initiated predominantly upstream of the J alpha 11-2 region. This germline transcript in the kidney is undergoing alternative splicing leading to the appearance of an open reading frame coding for a short polypeptide. These results suggest that the product of this transcript may be functionally relevant.