Cluster of Differentiation 4 (CD4) is a glycoprotein composed of an amino-terminal extracellular domain (four domains: D1-D4 with Ig-like structures), a transmembrane part and a short cytoplasmic tail. CD4 is expressed on the surface of T helper cells, regulatory T cells, monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells, and plays an important role in the development and activation of T cells. On T cells, CD4 is the co-receptor for the T cell receptor (TCR), and these two distinct structures recognize the Antigen-Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC).
