title: Identification of duck T lymphocytes using an anti-human T cell (CD3) antiserum.
abstract: Duck lymphocytes have not been classified into cells resembling B or T cells of mammals. Reagents used in the past to identify lymphocyte populations in other species have not been useful for this purpose and antibodies raised to duck immunoglobulin bind in high proportions to blood and organ lymphocytes of ducks as well as to their red blood cells. Here we report that a polyclonal rabbit antiserum reacting to the CD3 marker on human T cells has been used to identify duck T lymphocytes. These antibodies react with the intracytoplasmic portion of the human CD3 epsilon chain (amino acids 156-168), an epitope highly conserved between mammals. Immunohistochemical staining with this antiserum of sections of duck lymphoid organs and FACScan analysis of duck lymphoid cell suspensions identified a population of duck lymphocytes with a staining pattern similar to that seen for mammalian T cells. This anti-human CD3 immunoprecipitated a 23 kDa protein from a duck lymphoblast lysate: a size similar to the human CD3 epsilon chain. This is the first direct identification of duck T lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bertram
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jilbert
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kotlarski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D004372:Ducks; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D007106:Immune Sera