Cluster Of Differentiation 7 (CD7)

CD7  is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. This protein is found on thymocytes and mature T cells. It plays an essential role in T-cell interactions and also in T-cell/B-cell interaction during early lymphoid development.

The CD7 antigen is a cell surface glycoprotein found on thymocytes and mature T cells. It is one of the earliest antigens to appear on cells of the T-lymphocyte lineage and the most reliable clinical marker of T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia. Aruffo and Seed (1987) isolated and sequenced a full-length CD7 cDNA as well as a cDNA for an unusual intron-bearing precursor. They found that COS cells expressing CD7 do not bind IgM. Schanberg et al. (1991) isolated and characterized the human CD7 gene and its 5-prime flanking region; the gene comprises 4 exons that span 3.5 kb.