Description
CD48 antigen (Cluster of Differentiation 48), also known as BLAST-1 or SLAMF2, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CD48 gene. CD48 is a member of the CD2 subfamily of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) which includes SLAM (signaling lymphocyte activation molecules) proteins, such as CD84, CD150, CD229 and CD244. It is mapped to 1q23.3. CD48 is found on the surface of lymphocytes and other immune cells, dendritic cells and endothelial cells, and participates in activation and differentiation pathways in these cells. The encoded protein does not have a transmembrane domain, however, but is held at the cell surface by a GPI anchor via a C-terminal domain which maybe cleaved to yield a soluble form of the receptor