CD98 is a heterodimeric glycoprotein that contains an 80 kDa heavy chain and a 40 kDa light chain. The CD98 heavy chain is also known as the 4F2 antigen heavy chain or FRP-1, and it is encoded by the SLC3A2 gene. The CD98 heavy chain is capable of binding to β-integrins to mediate cell adhesion, motility, growth, and survival (1). Meanwhile, the CD98 light chain allows amino acid transport. Different isoforms of the light chain allow expression of six different L-amino acid transporters. The CD98 heavy chain can be expressed independently; however, expression of the CD98 light chain is dependent on the presence of the heavy chain. CD98 was first identified for its role in lymphocyte activation and the adaptive immune response (2). In adaptive immunity, antigens are presented to a pool of lymphocytes until its complementary match is identified. Upon matching, clonal expansion of the lymphocyte is crucial for combating the infection and neutralizing the pathogen. CD98 has been identified as a key player in the clonal expansion of lymphocytes (1). CD98 on the lymphocyte surface promotes integrin interactions, which results in cell growth and proliferation through ERK and MAPK signaling.
Overexpression of CD98 has also been identified on cancer cells as an oncogenic driver of proliferation and invasion. CD98 has been identified as a negative prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and triple negative breast cancer (3,4). It has also been associated with intestinal inflammatory conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel disease and colorectal carcinoma (5). In light of these correlations, more studies are needed to elucidate the exact mechanism by which CD98 promotes tumorigenesis in various malignancies. Better understanding the physiology of CD98 will allow further investigation into therapeutic manipulation of CD98.
Novus Biologicals offers CD98 reagents for your research needs including:
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