Description
Product Characteristics: CD71, a type II transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on the cell surface as a homodimer, is the transferrin receptor. It is essential for the growth of normal and neoplastic cells. It is expressed at low levels on resting B and T lymphocytes but is upregulated during responses to antigens and mitogens, presumably reflecting the iron dependence of proliferation. Its expression declines with maturation and differentiation. CD71 plays a critical role in cell proliferation by controlling the supply of iron, which is essential for many metabolic pathways, through the binding and endocytosis of transferrin, the major iron-carrying protein. It may also be involved in signal transduction via its association with the T cell receptor chain.
Target Information: This gene encodes a cell surface receptor necessary for cellular iron uptake by the process of receptor-mediated endocytosis. This receptor is required for erythropoiesis and neurologic development. Mice that are deficient in this receptor show impaired erythroid development and abnormal iron homeostasis. [provided by RefSeq, Mar 2010]