P. Angelisova et al., ASSOCIATION OF 4 ANTIGENS OF THE TETRASPANS FAMILY (CD37, CD53, TAPA-1, AND R2 C33) WITH MHC CLASS-II GLYCOPROTEINS/, Immunogenetics, 39(4), 1994, pp. 249-256
Four of the tetraspans family antigens expressed in B cells, CD37, CD5
3, TAPA-1, and R2/C33, as well as at least two other molecules, CD19 a
nd CD21, coprecipitate with DR antigens from mild detergent lysates of
human B-cell lines and tonsillar B cells. Coprecipitation and preclea
ring experiments indicate the existence of large multicomponent comple
xes containing jointly the seven components, although some ''incomplet
e'' complexes lacking some of the components may also exist. The compl
exes contain only a relatively small fraction of the total cellular po
ol of relevant molecules. The existence of these ''tetraspans-DR compl
exes'' may be related to the previously reported antiproliferative and
signaling effects of antibodies against most of their components.