CD151 antigen

CD151 antigen is a 28 kDa tetraspanin that functions as a structural component of tetraspanin-enriched microdomains (TERMs), serving as a platform for receptor clustering and signaling (UniProt: P48509). Through interactions with integrins and other adhesion molecules, CD151 facilitates cell-to-cell communication, wound healing, cell migration, and angiogenesis. It plays a particularly important role in maintaining laminin-binding integrin complexes and regulating the assembly of basement membranes in kidney tissue, and contributes to T-cell activation via integrin signaling.

CD151 is implicated in epidermolysis bullosa simplex with nephropathy and deafness (EBS7), an autosomal recessive genodermatosis affecting skin, kidney, and hearing (UniProt: P48509). The protein also participates in cellular entry of certain pathogens including human papillomavirus and cytomegalovirus.

CD151 demonstrates increased abundance in post-mortem Alzheimer's disease brain tissue compared to age-matched controls, with a mean log2 fold-change of +0.76 across the analyzed subcellular fractions (Chaparral AD proteomics). This upregulation suggests CD151 may contribute to the pathological processes characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, though the functional significance requires further investigation.