I see many different studies using RAG1 or 2 knock out mice. I know that this means that lymphocytes will not be fully mature since. T cells will not have a TCR and b cells will not make antibodies.
What does this mean for a research study?
Why are these mice common in immunological research? For example why are the used in a process like vaccine development?
What does OT-I mean?
"The use of model antigens such as ovalbumin (OVA) has been extremely beneficial to the field of immunology, and the availability of transgenic mice that have a T cell repertoire with a defined specificity has provided an important tool with which to study the selection, activation, motility and memory responses of T cells. One example of this is a transgenic strain of mice with CD8+ T cells specific for the OVA peptide of amino acids 257–264 (SIINFEKL) in the context of H-2Kb (ref. 1). These SIINFEKL-specific CD8+ T cells, commonly referred to as ‘OT-I T cells’, have a T cell antigen receptor that consists of α-chain variable region 2 (Vα2) and β-chain variable region 5 (Vβ5), which are inherited via a single transgene1."Article Spontaneous partial loss of the OT-I transgene
The immune system of the RAG-1 mutant mice can be described as that of nonleaky severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. Although RAG-1 expression has been reported in the central nervous system of the mouse, no obvious neuroanatomical or behavioral abnormalities have been found in the RAG-1-deficient mice.
https://www.cell.com/fulltext/0092-8674(92)90030-G
Mombaerts P, Iacomini J, Johnson RS, Herrup K, Tonegawa S, Papaioannou VE. RAG-1-deficient mice have no mature B and T lymphocytes. Cell. 1992;68(5):869-77.
Rag KO means they cannot produce T and B cells and thus act well as recipient of transgenic T cells. This model is useful to evaluate immune mechanisms in terms of de novo activation of T cells, by certain vaccine formulations, or in response to infection. It is also useful to track T cell trafficking, hemoeostasis, Memory response, localization etc.
There are two types of OT specific T cells are used. One is called OT-I and the other is called OT-II. As you can see by their label, OT-I is presnted by MHC-I and OT-II is presented by MHC-II hence these are useful to study CD8 or CD4 specific responses respectively.
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