Influenza nucleoprotein (NP)-specific CD8+ CTL were generated from splenocytes obtained from Balb/c mice previously primed with influenza A/Taiwan/1/86 (H1N1) infection or with influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1)-derived NP plasmid DNA vaccine followed by infection with A/Hong Kong/68 (H3N2) virus. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and influenza.