Description

CD8, also known as Lyt-2, Ly-2, or T8, consists of disulfide-linked α and β chains that form the α(CD8a)/β(CD8b) heterodimer and α/α homodimer. CD8a is a 34kD protein that belongs to the immunoglobulin family. The CD8 α/β heterodimer is expressed on the surface of most thymocytes and a subset of mature TCR α/β T cells. CD8 expression on mature T cells is non-overlapping with CD4. The CD8 α/α homodimer is expressed on a subset of γ/δ TCR-bearing T cells, NK cells, intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes, and lymphoid dendritic cells. CD8 is an antigen co-receptor on T cells that interacts with MHC class I on antigen-presenting cells or epithelial cells. CD8 promotes T cell activation through its association with the TCR complex and protein tyrosine kinase lck.

Formulation

Recommended Usage

Each lot of this antibody is quality control tested by immunofluorescent staining with flow cytometric analysis. For flow cytometric staining, the suggested use of this reagent is ≤ 0.25 microg per 10⁶ cells in 100 microL volume. It is recommended that the reagent be titrated for optimal performance for each application.

References

1. Takahashi K, et al. 1992. P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:5557.
2. Frei K, et al. 1997. J. Exp. Med. 185:2177.