Recognizes the epsilon-chain of CD3, which consists of five different polypeptide chains (designated as gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, and eta) with MW ranging from 16-28kDa. It is found on all mature T-lymphocytes, NK, T-cells, and some thymocytes. CD3, also known as T3, is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily that plays a role in antigen recognition, signal transduction, and T cell activation. It is expressed, typically at high levels, on peripheral T cells and majority of T cell neoplasms. Thymocytes express CD3 at different level on the cell surface in the course of differentiation and, in cortical thymus, CD3 is predominantly Intracytoplasmic. This MAb is particularly useful for induction of T cell activation in vitro and in vivo due to its unusual IgG3 isotype.
