Invitrogen™ CD366 (TIM3) Monoclonal Antibody (8B.2C12), APC, eBioscience™, Invitrogen™

Rat Monoclonal Antibody

Description: The 8B.2C12 monoclonal antibody reacts with mouse CD366 (TIM3), a Th1-specific cell surface protein. CD366 is a type I transmembrane protein and contains an immunoglobulin and a mucin-like domain in its extracellular portion and a tyrosine phosphorylation motif in its cytoplasmic portion. CD366 is expressed selectively by differentiated CD4+ Th1 and CD8+ Tc1, but is absent on Th2 and Tc2. Other hematopoietic cell types, including naive T cells, B cells, macrophages and dendritic cells, do not express CD366, at least at the protein level. Expression of CD366 is upregulated at a late stage of T cell differentiation on Th1 cells after 3 rounds of in vitro polarization suggesting a role for this molecule in the transport or effector function of Th1 cells rather than a contribution to T cell differentiation. In an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model, CD366 was shown to be expressed on most CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the central nervous system at the onset of clinical signs of disease, while less than 2% of CD4+ cells in the periphery expressed CD366 after immunization. In this model, in vivo administration of 8B.2C12 resulted in a hyperacute and atypical disease phenotype. It is postulated that the engagement of CD366 during T cell activation results in the expansion and activation of macrophages and increased severity of autoimmune disease. The Tim gene family may have an important role in the regulation of autoimmunity and allergies.