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Although, several methods for sequencing of paired T cell receptor (TCR) alpha and beta chains from single T cells have been developed, none so far have been conducive to downstream in vivo functional analysis of TCR heterodimers. We have developed an improved protocol based on a two-step multiplex-nested PCR, which results in a PCR product that spans entire variable regions of a human TCR alpha and beta chains. By identifying unique restriction sites and incorporating them into the PCR primers, we have made the PCR product compatible with direct sub-cloning into the template retroviral vector. The resulting retroviral construct encodes a chimeric human/mouse TCR with a mouse intracellular domain, which is functional in mouse cells or in in vivo mouse models. Overall, the protocol described here combines human single cell paired TCR alpha and beta chain identification with streamlined generation of retroviral vectors readily adaptable for in vitro and in vivo TCR expression. The video and the accompanying material are designed to give a highly detailed description of the single cell PCR, so that the critical steps can be followed and potential pitfalls avoided. Additionally, we provide a detailed description of the cloning steps necessary to generate the expression vector. Once mastered, the whole procedure from single cell sorting to TCR expression could be performed in a short two-week period.

T cell receptor (TCR) signaling is essential in the development and differentiation of T cells in the thymus and periphery, respectively. The vast array of TCRs proves studying a specific antigenic response difficult. Therefore, TCR transgenic mice were made to study positive and negative selection in the thymus as well as peripheral T cell activation, proliferation and tolerance. However, relatively few TCR transgenic mice have been generated specific to any given antigen. Thus, studies involving TCRs of varying affinities for the same antigenic peptide have been lacking. The generation of a new TCR transgenic line can take six or more months. Additionally, any specific backcrosses can take an additional six months. In order to allow faster generation and screening of multiple TCRs, a protocol for retroviral transduction of bone marrow was established with stoichiometric expression of the TCRα and TCRβ chains and the generation of retrogenic mice. Each retrogenic mouse is essentially a founder, virtually negating a founder effect, while the length of time to generate a TCR retrogenic is cut from six months to approximately six weeks. Here we present a rapid and flexible alternative to TCR transgenic mice that can be expressed on any chosen background with any particular TCR.