What is CD98?

The CD98 heterodimer consists of a type II single-pass transmembrane heavy chain of ~80–85 kDa (SLC3A2) that is disulfide-linked with a light chain of ~40 kDa (SLC7A5). CD98 was discovered in 1981 under a study looking at anti-leukocyte mAb function. Following its discovery, CD98 was used as an activation marker for both B and T cells during normal and disease states. It was later designated a fusion regulatory protein (FRP-1) to reflect its function in cell fusion events that lead to multinucleated giant cells such as osteoclasts or in viral-induced syncitia. Many tumors express CD98, and its expression correlates with poor prognosis in B cell lymphomas, as well as solid, progressive, and metastatic tumors.

Common detection methods include Western Blot and other immunoblotting techniques, flow cytometry, Indirect immunofluorescence, rt-PCR, and coimmunoprecipitation. Secondary tests include analysis, mAb detection, nucleic acid sequencing, mRNA analysis, and statistical analysis.

Cell Types

• Lymphocytes
• Kidney tubule cells
• Gastrointestinal-related cells
• Epithelial cells
• Fibroblastic cells

Reference

1. Cantor, J. M., & Ginsberg, M. H. (2012). CD98 at the crossroads of adaptive immunity and cancer. Journal of cell science, 125(Pt 6), 1373–1382. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.096040