FITC Mouse Anti-Human CD49b Antibody (AK-7)

CD49b, also known as integrin alpha 2 subunit, is a 150 kDa type I transmembrane glycoprotein encoded by the ITGA2 gene. As a member of the integrin family, it must non-covalently associate with CD29 (integrin beta 1 subunit) to form the heterodimeric complex VLA-2 (Very Late Antigen-2, also known as GPIa/IIa) to exert its function. As a major receptor for laminin and collagen, the CD49b/CD29 complex plays a central role in mediating cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix. It is widely expressed on platelets, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and various immune cell subsets, including NK cells, CD8+ T cells, and regulatory T cells. In immune responses, the expression of CD49b serves as an important functional marker: within the tumor microenvironment, infiltrating CD8+ T cells regulate their localization and migration within the collagen-rich tumor stroma through CD49b expression, and the dynamic changes in its expression (such as losing CD49b to acquire CD49a) are closely associated with T cell exhaustion. Meanwhile, a subset of effector regulatory T cells also expresses CD49b to identify their enhanced immunosuppressive function. Furthermore, as a classic surface marker for NK cells (the antigen recognized by clone DX5), CD49b is also widely used for the identification and isolation of mouse NK cells.