Description
B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator or BTLA (also known as cluster of differentiation 272 or CD272) is a protein that belongs to the CD28 immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) which is encoded by the BTLA gene located on the 3rd human chromosome. BTLA was first discovered in 2003 as an inhibitor of Th1 expansion and it became the 3rd member of the CD28 IgSF. However, its discovered ligand herpes virus entry mediator or HVEM (also known as tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 14 or TNFRSF14) belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF). This finding was surprising because until the discovery of HVEM it was believed that receptors and ligands always belong to the same family