Premium
A human CD4 transgene rescues CD4 − CD8 + cells in β2‐microglobulin‐deficient mice
Author(s) -
Baron Agnès,
Hafen Katrin,
von Boehmer Harald
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
european journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1521-4141
pISSN - 0014-2980
DOI - 10.1002/eji.1830240834
Subject(s) - biology , beta 2 microglobulin , cd8 , major histocompatibility complex , transgene , cytotoxic t cell , mhc class i , t cell receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , beta (programming language) , antigen , t cell , phenotype , immunology , in vitro , gene , genetics , immune system , computer science , programming language
Abstract The specificity of the αβ T cell receptor for class I or class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules determines whether a mature T cell will be of the CD4 − CD8 + or CD4 + CD8 − phenotype, respectively. We show here that a human CD4 transgene can rescue a significant fraction of CD4 − CD8 + T cells in β2‐microglobulin‐deficient mice. Cells with this phenotype could be induced to become potent killers of targets expressing allogeneic MHC antigens, indicating that lineage commitment can precede the rescue of developing cells by the T cell receptor for antigen and the CD4 coreceptor.