{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,19]],"date-time":"2026-04-19T19:41:32Z","timestamp":1776627692257,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775001600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"funder":[{"name":"Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai","award":["24ZR1419700"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24ZR1419700"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002858","name":"China Postdoctoral Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2025T180854"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025T180854"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002858","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation","award":["GZB20250722"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GZB20250722"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>T cells utilize diverse T cell receptors (TCRs) to recognize antigenic peptides and mediate adaptive immunity. However, the organization and function of \u03b1\u03b2 T cells in early vertebrates remain poorly understood. Here, we systematically characterized the TCR\u03b1 locus and \u03b1\u03b2 T cell responses in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) during Edwardsiella piscicida infection. Genomic analysis revealed that the TCR\u03b1 locus in Nile tilapia exhibits a distinctive V\u03b1(61)-J\u03b1(82)-C\u03b1(1)-V\u03b1(65) structure with conserved synteny in the flanking regions, while the constant region retains essential residues for TCR\/CD3 complex assembly. We further generated monoclonal antibody against tilapia TCR\u03b1 and TCR\u03b2 and confirmed their coexpression by the majority of CD3\u03b5+ T cells, validating these cells as bona fide \u03b1\u03b2 T cells. Functional assays showed that CD3\u03b5\/CD28 monoclonal antibody stimulation induced robust \u03b1\u03b2 T cell activation, as evidenced by enhanced phosphorylation of S6, NF-\u03baB, and ERK1\/2, together with vigorous cellular proliferation. In vivo, E. piscicida infection triggered a pronounced expansion of \u03b1\u03b2 T cells, indicating their active involvement in antibacterial immunity. Importantly, depletion of \u03b1\u03b2 T cells severely impaired pathogen clearance and significantly increased host mortality. Together, these findings elucidate the indispensable role of \u03b1\u03b2 T cells in the antibacterial immunity of teleosts and provide critical insights into the functional mechanisms of adaptive immunity in early vertebrates.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/jimmun\/vkag038","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,19]],"date-time":"2026-04-19T19:04:11Z","timestamp":1776625451000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Genomic organization of the TCR\u03b1 locus and essential roles of \u03b1\u03b2 T cells in antibacterial immunity in Nile tilapia"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"215","author":[{"given":"Ming","family":"Geng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University , Shanghai,","place":["China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kang","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University , Shanghai,","place":["China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jiansong","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University , Shanghai,","place":["China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yuying","family":"Zheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University , Shanghai,","place":["China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Haokai","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University , Shanghai,","place":["China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Qiqi","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University , Shanghai,","place":["China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jialong","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University , Shanghai,","place":["China"]},{"name":"Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center , Qingdao,","place":["China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2253-8181","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiumei","family":"Wei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of 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