Mice lacking in CD8 were generated from homologous recombination in embryonal stem cells at the CD8 locus and bred with the experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE)-susceptible PL/JH-2u through four backcross generations to investigate the role of CD8+ T cells in this model of multiple sclerosis. The disease onset and susceptibility were similar to those of wild-type mice. However, the mutant mice had a milder acute EAE, reflected by fewer deaths, but more chronic EAE, reflected by a higher frequency of relapse. This suggests that CD8+ T lymphocytes may participate as both effectors and regulators in this animal model.

All mouse T-cell receptor cz/8, ~3, and y variable (Tcra/d-, b-, and g-V) gene segments were aligned to compare the sequences with one another, to group them into subfamilies, and to derive a name which complies with the standard nomenclature. It was necessary to change the names of some V gene segments because they conflicted with those of other segments. The traditional classification into subfamilies was re-evaluated using a much larger pool of sequences. In the mouse, most V gene segments can be grouped into subfamilies of closely related genes with significantly less similarity between different subfamilies.