BD Pharmingen™ Alexa Fluor® 488 Mouse Anti-Human CD8

The RPA-T8 monoclonal antibody specifically binds to CD8 alpha (CD8α). CD8α is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein and a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. CD8α is expressed by the majority of thymocytes, by subpopulations of  αβ T cells and γδ T cells and by some NK cells. Cell surface CD8α is expressed either as a disulfide-linked homodimer (CD8αα) or as a heterodimer (CD8αβ) when disulfide-bonded to a CD8 beta chain (CD8β). CD8-positive αβ T cells coexpress both CD8αα homodimers and CD8αβ heterodimers whereas some γδ T cells and NK cells express CD8αα homodimers.  CD8 plays important roles in T cell activation and selection. The extracellular IgSF domain of CD8α binds to a non-polymorphic determinant on HLA class I molecules (α3 domain) and enables CD8 to function as a co-receptor with MHC class I-restricted TCR during T cell recognition of antigen. The cytoplasmic domain of CD8α associates with Lck, a Src family protein tyrosine kinase that is involved in intracellular signaling. The RPA-T8 and HIT8a monoclonal antibodies are not cross-blocking.  This clone has been reported to react with a subset of peripheral blood lymphocytes, but not monocytes nor granuloyctes, of baboon and both rhesus and cynomolgus macaque monkey. In general, a higher frequency of CD8+ and CD4+CD8+ lymphocytes are observed in non-human primates compared to normal human donors.