Project name: Sequencing_the_B_cell_and_T_cell_receptor_repertoire

Description: This project will first separate and characterise naïve, and central memory human T cells, and naïve and memory human B cells from peripheral blood of healthy volunteers. The T cell receptor (TcR) and B cell receptor (BcR) sequences will be amplified from RNA in each population using RT-PCR and RACE and Illumina sequenced. The short reads will be aligned using constant region sequences, and the variable regions identified by BLAST searches against a database of all the known V , J and D regions. Receptors will be characterised in terms of variable region usage and the full repertoire of expressed VDJ combinations characterised. In addition, non-germline sequence changes introduced by somatic cell hypermutation, and joining error will be examined. This will give the first fully quantitative comparison of naive and memory repertoires, for both B and T cell compartments. We will extend these studies to look at the repertoire of virus infected individuals. We will use the same basic approach to compare both naïve and memory repertoires of HIV infected individuals, with either poorly controlled infection and high viral load, or well controlled infection, with undetectable viral load. Further studies will examine the immune repertoire evolution over time and in response to vaccination and in cases of autoimmunity.

Data type: Other

Sample scope: Monoisolate

Release date: 2011-09-20