Description
Product Characteristics: In the mouse, CD8 exists in two forms: (i) a CD8 heterodimer composed of an chain (CD8/Lyt-2) and a chain (CD8/Lyt-3), and (ii) a homodimer of two chains. The heterodimer is found on the surface of essentially all thymocytes and the suppressor/cytotoxic subpopulation of mature T lymphocytes. Subsets of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes express CD8 without CD8. It has been suggested that CD8+- T cells mature extrathymically, while development of the CD8++ population of T cells is thymus-dependent. CD8 acts as a coreceptor with MHC Class I-restricted T cell receptors in antigen recognition and positive selection of MHC class I-restricted CD8+ T cells. In vivo and in vitro treatment with the 53-6.7 monoclonal antibody effectively depletes CD8+ cells.
Target Information: The CD8 antigen is a cell surface glycoprotein found on most cytotoxic T lymphocytes that mediates efficient cell-cell interactions within the immune system. The CD8 antigen acts as a coreceptor with the T-cell receptor on the T lymphocyte to recognize antigens displayed by an antigen presenting cell in the context of class I MHC molecules. The coreceptor functions as either a homodimer composed of two alpha chains or as a heterodimer composed of one alpha and one beta chain. Both alpha and beta chains share significant homology to immunoglobulin variable light chains. This gene encodes the CD8 alpha chain. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Nov 2011]