Gene transfer of the Ly-3 chain gene of the mouse CD8 molecular complex: co-transfer with the Ly-2 polypeptide gene results in detectable cell surface expression of the Ly-3 antigenic determinants.
The CD8 molecule is a glycoprotein expressed on a subset of mature T lymphocytes. It has been postulated to be a receptor for class I major histocompatibility complex molecules. In the mouse, CD8 is a heterodimer composed of Ly-2 and Ly-3 chains. We have isolated and analyzed cDNA and cosmid clones corresponding to the Ly-3 subunit. One of the isolated, cosmid clones was subsequently transfected, alone or in combination with the Ly-2 gene, into mouse Ltk- cells. Analysis of the Ly-2,3 molecules expressed at the surface of the double transfectants indicated that they are serologically and biochemically indistinguishable from their normal counterparts expressed on lymphoid cells. Ltk- cells transfected with the Ly-2 gene alone were shown to react with a subset of anti-CD8 monoclonal antibodies whereas Ly-3 transfectants did not stain with any of the anti-Ly-3 antibodies employed in this study. Since at least one of these antibodies (53-5.8) has been previously shown to recognize an epitope which is retained on the Ly-3 subunit after dissociation of the heterodimeric Ly-2,3 complex, these observations suggest that the expression of the Ly-2 polypeptide is required to permit the detectable cell surface expression of the antigenic determinants carried by the Ly-3 subunit.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003360:Cosmids; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D000939:Epitopes; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014162:Transfection
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000939:Epitopes; D004247:DNA; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes