The 30-F11 antibody reacts with an extracellular epitope found on all isoforms and both alloantigens (CD45.1 and CD45.2) of mouse CD45, a type I transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on the surface of most hematopoietic cells except mature erythrocytes, platelets and plasma cells; expression of CD45 is lost during differentiation of these cell types. CD45 is a member of the protein tyrosine phosphatase family and functions in a number of immunoregulatory processes, including cell activation, growth, differentiation and oncogenic transformation. The large cytoplasmic portion of CD45 contains two tyrosine phosphatase domains, one which is enzymatically active, that are involved in modulating the function of intracellular substrates such as the Src kinases Lck and Fyn. Several isoforms of CD45 have been identified, the expression of which differs according to cell type and functional status. Alternative splicing of three exons (4, 5, 6) encoding the extracellular RA, RB and RC polypeptide sequences gives rise to up to 8 isoforms with molecular masses in the range of 180 - 240 kDa.
