Human T Cell Antigen Expression by Primate T Cells

Abstract

Phylogenetic study in primates of the reactivity of 11 monoclonal antibodies to human T cells and rosette formation in the reaction of primate T cells with sheep erythrocytes demonstrate that the sheep erythrocyte receptor and the determinants of T cell subset antigens are highly conserved during primate evolution. Other T cell antigen determinants are less conserved. Human, gorilla and chimpanzee T cells showed identical reactivity with the monoclonal antibodies to human T cells. The expression of human T cell antigen determinants by primate T cells suggests a constant rate of evolution for this group of molecules and provides additional evidence that man and African apes shared a relatively recent common ancestor.