The isolation and sequence of the gene encoding T8: a molecule defining functional classes of T lymphocytes

DR Littman, Y Thomas, PJ Maddon, L Chess, R Axel - Cell, 1985 - cell.com
DR Littman, Y Thomas, PJ Maddon, L Chess, R Axel
Cell, 1985cell.com
The T cell surface glycoproteins T4 and T8 are thought to mediate efficient cell-cell
interactions in the immune system and in this way may be responsible for the appropriate
targeting of subpopulations of T cells. We have used gene transfer combined with
subtractive hybridization to isolate both cDNA and functional genomic clones encoding the
T8 protein. The sequence of the cDNA reveals that T8 is a transmembrane protein with an N-
terminal domain which shares significant homology to immunoglobulin variable region light …
Summary
The T cell surface glycoproteins T4 and T8 are thought to mediate efficient cell-cell interactions in the immune system and in this way may be responsible for the appropriate targeting of subpopulations of T cells. We have used gene transfer combined with subtractive hybridization to isolate both cDNA and functional genomic clones encoding the T8 protein. The sequence of the cDNA reveals that T8 is a transmembrane protein with an N-terminal domain which shares significant homology to immunoglobulin variable region light chains. This immunoglobulin-like structure is likely to be important in the function of T8 during differentiation and in the course of the immune response.
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