Cloning of murine TCF-1, a T cell-specific trans cription factor interacting with functional motifs in the CD3ε and T cell receptor α enhancers.

CD3-e gene expression is confined to the T cell lineage. We have recently identified an cloned a human transcription factor, TCF-1, that binds to a functional element in the T lymphocyte-specific enhancer of CD3-e. In a panel of human cell lines, TCF-1 expression was restricted to T lineage cells. TCF-1 belonged to a novel family of genes that contain the so-called high mobility group 1 (HMG) box. Here we report the cloning of murine TCF-1. The T lineage-specific expression and the affinity for functional motifs in the TCR-α and CD3-e enhancers imply an important role for TCF-1 in the establishment of the mature T cell phenotype