title: Identification of CD3+ T lymphocytes in the green turtle Chelonia mydas.
abstract: To understand the role of the immune system with respect to disease in reptiles, there is the need to develop tools to assess the host's immune response. An important tool is the development of molecular markers to identify immune cells, and these are limited for reptiles. We developed a technique for the cryopreservation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and showed that a commercially available anti-CD3 epsilon chain antibody detects a subpopulation of CD3 positive peripheral blood lymphocytes in the marine turtle Chelonia mydas. In the thymus and in skin inoculated with phytohemagglutinin, the same antibody showed the classical staining pattern observed in mammals and birds. For Western blot, the anti-CD3 antibodies identified a 17.6k Da band in membrane proteins of peripheral blood mononuclear cell compatible in weight to previously described CD3 molecules. This is the first demonstration of CD3+ cells in reptiles using specific antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Posgrado, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlan-UNAM, Cuautitlan Izcalli, Estado de Mexico, Mexico. feralwild2@yahoo.com.mx
authors.forename: Fernando A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Estrada-Parra
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romero-Rojas
authors.forename: Thierry M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Work
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Ballesteros
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Estrada-Garcia
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D014426:Turtles / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins