Skint2 is a gene belonging to the B7S3 gene family [2]. It is involved in the development of signature murine TCRγδ+ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) in the skin. Along with Skint1, Skint2 is required for the normal development of skin γδ IEL [1].

Genetic evidence from in vivo studies, likely including gene knockout (KO) or conditional knockout (CKO) mouse models (implied by the study's findings on the requirement of genes for normal development), shows that Skint2 is essential for the normal development of skin γδ IEL. This indicates its role in the selection and maintenance of the phenotypes of tissue-protective γδ IEL compartments in the skin [1].

In conclusion, Skint2 is crucial for the development of skin-associated γδ IEL, playing a significant role in the selection and maintenance of phenotypes within these tissue-protective cell compartments. The study of Skint2 using KO or CKO mouse models has provided insights into its function in skin-related immune processes [1].

References:

1. Jandke, Anett, Melandri, Daisy, Monin, Leticia, Feederle, Regina, Hayday, Adrian. 2020. Butyrophilin-like proteins display combinatorial diversity in selecting and maintaining signature intraepithelial γδ T cell compartments. In Nature communications, 11, 3769. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17557-y. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32724083/

2. Yang, Yang, Liu, Xikui K, Nguyen, Thang, Graf, Daniel, Dong, Chen. . Characterization of B7S3 as a novel negative regulator of T cells. In Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), 178, 3661-7. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17339463/