Evolution of two prototypic T cell lineages

• Two T-cell lineages and B-cells evolved before the divergence of jawed and jawless vertebrates.
• Lamprey VLRA- and VLRC-producing cells resemble mammalian αβ and γδ T-cells.
• VLRA and VLRC genes share donor cassettes during their assembly.

Jawless vertebrates, which occupy a unique position in chordate phylogeny, employ leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-based variable lymphocyte receptors (VLR) for antigen recognition. During the assembly of the VLR genes (VLRA, VLRB and VLRC), donor LRR-encoding sequences are copied in a step-wise manner into the incomplete germ-line genes. The assembled VLR genes are differentially expressed by discrete lymphocyte lineages: VLRA- and VLRC-producing cells are T-cell like, whereas VLRB-producing cells are B-cell like. VLRA+ and VLRC+ lymphocytes resemble the two principal T-cell lineages of jawed vertebrates that express the αβ or γδ T-cell receptors (TCR). Reminiscent of the interspersed nature of the TCRα/TCRδ locus in jawed vertebrates, the close proximity of the VLRA and VLRC loci facilitates sharing of donor LRR sequences during VLRA and VLRC assembly. Here we discuss the insight these findings provide into vertebrate T- and B-cell evolution, and the alternative types of anticipatory receptors they use for adaptive immunity.