Cross-reactivity of antibodies against T cell markers in the Bank vole (Myodes glareolus)

Abstract

The bank vole is a common Cricetidae rodent that is a reservoir of several zoonotic pathogens and an emerging model in eco-immunology. Here, we add to a developing immunological toolkit for this species by testing the cross-reactivity of commercially available monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the bank vole lymphocyte differentiation molecules and a transcription factor. We show that a combination of mAbs against CD4, CD3, and Foxp3 allows flow cytometric distinction of the main subsets of T cells: putative helper CD4+, cytotoxic CD8+ (as CD3+CD4-) and regulatory CD4+Foxp3+. We also provide a comparative analysis of amino acid sequences of CD4, CD8{beta}, CD3{varepsilon}{gamma}{delta} and Fopx3 molecules for a number of commonly studied Cricetidae rodents and discuss mAb cross-reactivity patterns reported so far in this rodent family.