CD3e molecule, epsilon is also known as CD3E, is a T-cell surface single-pass type I membrane glycoprotein. CD3E contains 1 Ig-like (immunoglobulin-like) domain and 1 ITAM domain. CD3E, together with CD3-gamma, CD3-delta and CD3-zeta, and the T-cell receptor alpha/beta and gamma/delta heterodimers, forms the T cell receptor-CD3 complex. This complex plays an important role in coupling antigen recognition to several intracellular signal-transduction pathways. The genes encoding the epsilon, gamma and delta polypeptides are located in the same cluster on chromosome 11. The epsilon polypeptide plays an essential role in T-cell development. CD3E plays an essential role in T-cell development, and defects in CD3E gene cause severe immunodeficiency. CD3E gene has also been linked to a susceptibility to type I diabetes in women. CD3E has been shown to interact with TOP2B, CD3EAP and NCK2.
