FITC Anti-CD8 alpha antibody [OKT8]

Target data

The protein expressed by the gene CD8A is an integral membrane glycoprotein crucial for immune responses, operating mainly in T-cells as a coreceptor for MHC class I molecule : peptide complexes. These peptides originate from cytosolic proteins, unlike class II peptides, which are from extracellular proteins. CD8A interacts with the T-cell receptor (TCR) and MHC class I proteins on antigen-presenting cells, recruiting the Src kinase LCK to the TCR-CD3 complex. LCK phosphorylates substrates, triggering signaling pathways that lead to the production of lymphokines, enhanced motility, adhesion, and activation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), thereby aiding in the recognition and elimination of infected or tumor cells. Additionally, in natural killer (NK) cells, CD8A homodimers on the cell surface provide a survival mechanism for conjugating with and lysing multiple target cells. CD8A homodimers also facilitate the survival and differentiation of activated lymphocytes into memory CD8 T-cells. This supplementary information is collated from multiple sources and compiled automatically.