CD166 antigen is a 100-105 kD typeI transmembrane
glycoprotein
Glycoproteins are proteins which contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to amino acid side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known as glycos ...
that is a member of the
immunoglobulin superfamily of proteins. In humans it is encoded by the ''ALCAM''
gene.
It is also called CD166 (
cluster of differentiation 166), MEMD,
[ SC-1/DM-GRASP/BEN in the chicken, and KG-CAM in the rat.
Some literature sources have also cited it as the CD6 ligand (CD6L). It is expressed on activated T cells, activated monocytes, epithelial cells, ]fibroblast
A fibroblast is a type of cell (biology), biological cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, produces the structural framework (Stroma (tissue), stroma) for animal Tissue (biology), tissues, and plays a critical role in wound ...
s, neurons, melanoma
Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...
cells, and also in sweat and sebaceous glands. CD166 protein expression is reported to be upregulated in a cell line deriving from a metastasizing melanoma. CD166 plays an important role in mediating adhesion interactions between thymic epithelial cells and CD6+ cells during intrathymic T cell development.
Recently, CD166 has also been used as a potential cancer stem cell marker.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Clusters of differentiation
{{membrane-protein-stub