C-Type Lectin Domain Family 2, Member C (CLEC2C)

The activation of T lymphocytes, both in vivo and in vitro, induces expression of CD69. This molecule, which appears to be the earliest inducible cell surface glycoprotein acquired during lymphoid activation, is involved in lymphocyte proliferation and functions as a signal-transmitting receptor in lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and platelets (Cambiaggi et al., 1992)The CD69 clone hybridized to a 1.7-kb mRNA species that was rapidly induced and degraded after lymphocyte stimulation, consistent with the presence of rapid degradation signals at the 3-prime untranslated region. Protein sequence homology search demonstrated that CD69 is a member of the same superfamily of type II transmembrane receptors as natural killer cell lectin (NKG2), which also maps to chromosome 12.