Abstract
The CD8 antigen is a marker for those cytotoxic T cells that recognize antigen in the context of class I major histocompatibility antigens (MHC) and has now been identified in many species. In rodents the CD8 antigen is a heterodimer of two distinct chains, Lyt-2 and Lyt-3 in the mouse and OX-8 M r 32 000 and 37 000 chains in the rat. Human CD8 has consistently been described as a homodimer/homomultimer on mature T cells made up of one chain homologous to the Lyt-2 and OX-8 M r 32 000 chains. This paper identifies a human equivalent of the second rodent CD8 chain (Lyt-3 and OX-8 M r 37 000 chains) at the genomic level and shows that this gene is transcribed in human thymocytes and in some acute leukemic T-cell lines. The existence of a human Lyt-3 homolog raises the possibility that human CD8, like mouse CD8, may exist as a heterodimer.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bentley, A. K., Rees, D. J. G., Rizza, C., and Brownlee, G. G.: Defective propeptide processing of blood clotting factor IX caused by mutation of arginine to glutamine at position −4. Cell 45: 343–348, 1986
Chirgwin, J. M., Przybyla, A. E., MacDonald, R. J., and Rutter, W. J.: Isolation of biologically active ribonucleic acid from sources enriched in ribonucleases. Biochemistry 18: 5294–5299, 1979
Disanto, J. P., Small, T. N., Dupont, B., Flomenberg, N., and Knowles, R. W.: Analysis of the human CD8 and CD5 antigens expressed on mouse L cells. In A. McMichael et al. (eds.): Leucocyte Typing III. White Cell Differentiation Antigens, in press, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1987
Engleman, E. G., Benike, C. J., Grumet, C., and Evans, R. L.: Activation of human T lymphocyte subsets: Helper and suppressor/cytotoxic T cells recognize and respond to distinct histocompatibility antigens. J. Immunol. 127: 2124–2129, 1981
Fan, J., Ahmed, A., and Bonavida, B.: Studies on the induction and expression of T cell-mediated immunity. J. Immunol. 125: 2444–2453, 1980
Johnson, P. and Williams, A. F.: Striking similarities between antigen receptor J pieces and sequence in the second chain of the murine CD8 antigen. Nature 323: 74–76, 1986
Johnson, P., Gagnon, J., Barclay, A. N., and Williams, A. F.: Purification, chain separation and sequence of the MRC OX-8 antigen, a marker of rat cytotoxic T lymphocytes. EMBO J. 4: 2539–2545, 1985
Ledbetter, J. A., Evans, R. L., Lipinski, M., Cunningham-Rundles, C., Good, R. A., and Herzenberg, L. A.: Evolutionary conservation of surface molecules that distinguish T lymphocyte helper/inducer and cytotoxic/suppressor subpopulations in mouse and man. J. Exp. Med. 153: 310–323, 1981a
Ledbetter, J. A., Seaman, W. E., Tsu, T. T., and Herzenberg, L. A.: Lyt-2 and Lyt-3 antigens are on two different polypeptide subunits linked by disulfide bonds. Relationship of subunits to T cell cytolytic activity. J. Exp. Med. 153: 1503–1516, 1981b
Ledbetter, J. A., Tsu, T. T., and Clark, E. A.: Covalent association between human thymus leukemia-like antigens and CD8(Tp32) molecules. J. Immunol. 134: 4250–4254, 1985
Liaw, C. W., Zamoyska, R., and Parties, J. R.: Structure, sequence and polymorphism of the Lyt-2 T cell differentiation antigen gene. J. Immunol. 137: 1037–1043, 1986
Littman, D. R., Thomas, Y., Maddon, P. J., Chess, L., and Axel, R.: The isolation and sequence of the gene encoding T8: A molecule defining functional classes of T lymphocytes. Cell 40: 237–246, 1985
Macdonald, H. R., Glasebrook, A. L., Bron, C., Kelso, A., and Cerottini, J. C.: Clonal heterogeneity in the functional requirement for Lyt-2/3 molecules on cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL): Possible implications for the affinity of CTL antigen receptors. Immunol. Rev. 68: 88–115, 1982
McCaughan, G. W., Clark, M. J., and Barclay, A. N.: Characterization of the human homologue of the rat lymphoid/brain MRC OX-2 membrane glycoprotein. Immunogenetics 25: 329–335, 1987
Nakauchi, H., Nolan, G. P., Hsu, C., Huang, H. S., Kavathas, P., and Herzenberg, L. A.: Molecular cloning of Lyt-2, a membrane glycoprotein marking a subset of mouse T lymphocytes: Molecular homology to its human counterpart, Leu-2/T8, and to immunoglobulin variable regions. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82: 5126–5130, 1985
Reinherz, E. L., Kung, P. C., Goldstein, G., Levey, R. H., and Schlossman, S. F.: Discrete stages of human intrathymic differentiation: Analysis of normal thymocytes and leukemic lymphoblasts of T-cell lineage. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77: 1588–1592, 1980
Resherz, E. L., Hussey, R. E., Fitzgerald, K., Snow, P., Terhorst, C., and Schlossman, S. F.: Antibody directed at a surface structure inhibits cytolytic but not suppressor function of human T lymphocytes. Nature 294: 168–170, 1981
Sanger, F., Nicklen, S., and Coulson, A. R.: DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74: 5463–5467, 1977
Snow, P. M. and Terhorst, C.: The T8 antigen is a multimeric complex of two distinct subunits on human thymocytes but consists of homomultimeric forms on peripheral blood T lymphocytes. J. Biol. Chem. 258: 14675–14681, 1983
Sukhatme, V. P., Sizer, K. C., Vollmer, A. C., Hunkapiller, T., and Parties, J. R.: The T cell differentiation antigen Leu-2/Tβ is homologous to immunoglobulin and T cell receptor variable regions. Cell 40: 591–597, 1985
Swain, S. L.: T cell subsets and the recognition of MHC class. Immunol. Rev. 74: 129–142, 1983
Terhorst, C., van Agthoven, A., Reinherz, E., and Schlossman, S.: Biochemical analysis of human T lymphocyte differentiation antigens T4 and T5. Science 209: 520–521, 1980
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Johnson, P. A human homolog of the mouse CD8 molecule, Lyt-3: genomic sequence and expression. Immunogenetics 26, 174–177 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00365908
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00365908