This antibody recognizes Pekin duck CD8 alpha (CD8a), shown to be expressed by thymocytes, splenocytes, peripheral lymphoid cells and the vast majority of bursal cells.

Since the majority of avian immune studies have been carried out on chickens, relatively little is known about the immune system of ducks, though there is a resemblance between the main lymphoid organs: the spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius. At the cellular level, studies have shown that like mammalian T cells, duck lymphocytes are responsive to phytohemagglutinin (PHA).

CD8 alpha