Increased number of cytotoxic T cells within CD4+8− T cells in β2‐microglobulin, major histocompatibility complex class I‐deficient mice

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Abstract
Targeted disruption of β2‐microgobulin gene results in deficient major histocompatibility complex class I expression and failure to develop CD4−8+ T cells. Despite this, β2M−/− mice reject skin grafts and cope with most viral infections tested. We asked whether CD4+8− cytotoxic T cells could play a role in compensating for the defect in CD4−8+ cytotoxic T cell function. We found that the cytotoxic activity against class II+ targets is significantly higher among CD4+8− T cells of β2M−/− than among those of β2M+/+ mice. In the limiting dilution experiment, we showed that the precursor frequency for the cytotoxic, CD4+8−, class II‐specific T cells is at least fivefold higher in β2M −/−than in β2M+/+ mice. These results suggest that CD4+8− cytotoxic T cells could play a major role in carrying out cytotoxic function in β2M−/− mice.

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