| Cluster of Differentiation 4 (CD4) is a glycoprotein composed of an amino-terminal extracellular domain (four domains: D1-D4 with Ig-like structures), a transmembrane part and a short cytoplasmic tail. CD4 is expressed on the surface of T helper cells, regulatory T cells, monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells, and plays an important role in the development and activation of T cells. On T cells, CD4 is the co-receptor for the T cell receptor (TCR), and these two distinct structures recognize the Antigen–Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC). Specifically, the D1 domain of CD4 interacts with the β2-domain of the MHC class II molecule. CD4 ensures specificity of the TCR–antigen interaction, prolongs the contact between the T cell and the antigen presenting cell and recruits the tyrosine kinase Lck, which is essential for T cell activation (1). |
