Cross-reactive anti-chicken CD4 and CD8 monoclonal antibodies suggest polymorphism of the turkey CD8alpha molecule

Department of Animal Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster 44691, USA.

To measure turkey CD4 and CD8 T cell levels, the cross-reactivity of mouse anti-chicken CD4 and CD8 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) with turkey leucocytes was tested by flow cytometric analysis of blood obtained from individuals in five turkey lines. The turkey lines used included a randombred control population (RBC2), a subline (F) of RBC2 selected for increased 16-wk BW, and a sire line (A, B, and C) from each of three commercial turkey breeders. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were isolated and stained with single or dual color staining. The CT8 mAb (anti-chicken CD8alpha) failed to detect the CD8alpha molecule in some turkeys, and there were large line differences in ability to detect the CD8alpha molecule. However, certain anti-chicken CD8alpha mAb (3-298, 3-292, and 11-39) had good cross-reactivity with the turkey CD8alpha molecule. These present data indicate that the turkey CD8alpha molecule is polymorphic. Some anti-chicken CD4 mAb (CT4, 2-6, 2-35, and 7-125) were also cross-reactive with the turkey CD4 molecule. Immunoprecipitation and Western blotting showed that the 3-298 mAb precipitated a 33- to 35-kDa polypeptide from the turkey splenocyte lysate under reducing conditions. The availability of cross-reactive anti-chicken CD4 and CD8 mAb will facilitate the studies of immune responses in turkeys.

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