This anti-mouse CD8a antigen monoclonal antibody recognizes the mouse CD8α chain. The α chain of CD8 associates with the CD8β chain to form a CD8α/β heterodimer that is expressed by the majority of thymocytes and by the MHC class I restricted subset of mature T cells1. Mouse CD8α can also form a CD8α/α chain homodimer on subsets of CD8 positive cells. For this reason antibodies specific for CD8a rather than CD8b are recommended for a rigorous delineation of CD8 positive cells.
The CD8 antigen is a cell surface glycoprotein found on most cytotoxic T lymphocytes that mediates efficient cell to cell interactions within the immune system. The CD8 antigen, acting as a coreceptor, and the T cell receptor on the T lymphocyte recognize antigen displayed by an antigen presenting cell (APC) in the context of class I MHC molecules. The functional coreceptor is either a homodimer composed of two alpha chains, or a heterodimer composed of one alpha and one beta chain. Both alpha and beta chains share significant homology to immunoglobulin variable light chains.Synonyms: CD8 alpha chain, CD8A, MAL, T-cell surface glycoprotein CD8 alpha chain, T-lymphocyte differentiation antigen T8/Leu-2