Description
CD90, also known as Thy1, is an approximately 25-35 kDa glycoprotein that mediates cellular adhesion and exerts wide ranging effects in different tissues. CD90 is expressed on hematopoietic progenitor cells, neurons, and activated vascular endothelial cells. Its species-specific expression in lymphoid cells allows its use as a thymocyte and pan T cell marker in mouse but not in human. CD90 can form dimers and higher order multimers. It binds to heparin, the proteoglycan Syndecan-4, and Integrins alpha M beta 2, alpha V beta 3, and alpha V beta 5. Through these interactions, CD90 inhibits neurite outgrowth, promotes astrocyte adhesion, mediates the adhesion and extravasation of leukocytes and melanoma cells, supports the Thrombospondin-1 induced disassembly of fibroblast focal adhesions, and inhibits the activation of latent TGF-beta 1, myofibroblast differentiation, and lung fibrosis. Human Thy-1 shares 63% and 66% amino acids similarity with mouse and rat homolog.