title: Polymorphism of chicken CD8-alpha, but not CD8-beta.
abstract: We report here the structural basis of CD8 polymorphism in the chicken. Three chicken strains (RPRL Line 7, H.B15.H7, and H.B15. H12) have 14 nucleotide differences in the CD8A cDNA sequence causing eight amino acid replacements in the extracellular part of the molecule. Only two amino acid replacements and four silent mutations were observed in the CD8B cDNA sequence in one (H7) of the strains. Substitutions in CD8alpha were solely responsible for the binding of CD8-specific monoclonal antibodies, as detected by cDNA expression in COS cells. The majority of the amino acid substitutions are located in the immunoglobulin V-like domain and three of the changes (residues 30, 34, and 58) are situated in the putative major histocompatibility complex class I binding CDR1 and CDR2 regions of the chicken CD8alpha. CD8A polymorphism has not been reported in other species and this suggests that CD8A and CD8B have evolved under different selective pressures in the chicken.
authors.affiliation: Turku Immunology Centre and Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 13, 20520 Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luhtala
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Tregaskes
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vainio
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019556:COS Cells; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000950:Antigens, Ly; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins