Anti-STAT6 CTL activity in Stat6(−/−) mice: A cautionary tale

The generation of germline gene mutations in mice has been an invaluable tool for experimental biology. However, studying immune responses that develop in the absence of a specific protein that could alter thymic selection complicates experimental interpretations. We observed that CD8(+) T cells from Stat6(−/−) mice displayed “autoreactivity” to STAT6-expressing cells, associated with specific STAT6 peptides binding to MHC class I molecules. These results suggest caution in interpreting experiments where STAT6-expressing cells are transferred into Stat6(−/−) mice, or where adoptive transfer of Stat6(−/−) lymphocytes is performed. Our results further highlight additional considerations when studying immune responses involving cell transfer into gene-deficient mice.