FITC anti-human CD103 (Integrin alphaE)

CD103 is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein also known as alphaE integrin, integrin alphaIEL chain, and human mucosal lymphocyte antigen 1. It belongs to the integrin family and is primarily found on intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL). CD103 is also expressed on a subpopulation of lamina propria T cells, epithelial dendritic cells, lamina propria-derived dendritic cells, and a small subset of peripheral lymphocytes. T regulatory cells express high level of CD103. Hairy cell leukemia has also been shown to express CD103. The expression of CD103 on lymphocytes can be induced upon activation and TGF-beta stimulation. In association with integrin beta7, CD103 is expressed as alphaE/beta7 heterodimer. Mature CD103 protein can be cleaved into 2 chains, a 150 kD (C-terminal) chain and a 25 kD (N-terminal) chain, which remain linked by disulfide bonds. CD103 binds to E-cadherin and mediates homing of lymphocytes to the intestinal epithelium.