Increased number of cytotoxic T cells within CD4+8- T cells in beta 2-microglobulin, major histocompatibility complex class I-deficient mice.

Targeted disruption of beta 2-microglobulin gene results in deficient major histocompatibility complex class I expression and failure to develop CD4-8+ T cells. Despite this, beta 2 M-/- mice reject skin grafts and cope with most viral infections tested. We asked whether CD4+8- cytotoxic T cells would 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 beta 2M-/- than among those of beta 2M+/+ 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 beta 2M-/- than in beta 2M+/+ mice. These results suggest that CD4+8- cytotoxic T cells could play a major role in carrying out cytotoxic function in beta 2M-/- mice.