Regulation of gene expression at large distances by enhancers during T cell development

T lymphocytes are characterized by the expression of a specific antigen receptors, TCR, composed by two chains: alpha and beta, or gamma and delta. Our interests are focused in the study gene expression of the TCR genes T during development through the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved s that control the expression of these genes at large distances by transcriptional enhancers during T lymphocyte development. These enhancers are regulated by the binding of transcriptional factors that depends on the signaling received by thymocytes: mainly, Notch, TCR and IL-7. The identification of the molecular processes involved in the regulation of gene expression of these genes in normal conditions will help to understand how the desregulation of these processes derives in aberrant translocations that can drive to the generation of leukemia.