Cloning and expression analysis of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) CD3 genes.

The CD3 complex is in higher vertebrates shown to be important for the activation of T-cells. The T-cell system in fish is believed to be similar to that in higher vertebrates, and the CD3 chains could therefore be an important marker for identification of T-cells in fish. Here, we report the cDNA and corresponding gene sequence of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) CD3gammadelta, CD3varepsilon, and CD3zeta chains, and the tissue-specific expression pattern of CD3 and T- cell receptor (TCR) genes.