CD86


Cluster of Differentiation 86 is a protein expressed on dendritic cells, macrophages, B-cells, and other antigen-presenting cells. Along with CD80, CD86 provides costimulatory signals necessary for T-cell activation and survival. Depending on the ligand bound, CD86 can be used to signal for self-regulation and cell-cell association, or for attenuation of regulation and cell-cell disassociation.
The CD86 gene encodes a type I membrane protein that is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. Alternative splicing results in two transcript variants encoding different isoforms. Additional transcript variants have been described, but their full-length sequences have not been determined.

Co-stimulation for T-cell activation

The binding of CD86 expressed on the surface of an antigen-presenting cell with CD28 on the surface of a mature, naive T-cell, is required for T-cell activation. This protein interaction, along with the primary signal that is the MHC class II with an attached peptide binding to the T-cell receptor, activates mitogen-activated protein kinase and transcription factor nf-κB in the T-cell. These proteins up-regulate production of CD40L, IL-21 and IL-21R, and IL-2, among other cytokines.

T-reg mediation

produce CTLA-4, which can dampen an immune response and lead to increased anergy. CTLA-4 binds to CD86 with greater affinity than CD28, which impairs the co-stimulation necessary for proper T-cell activation. When bound to CTLA-4, CD86 can be removed from the surface of an APC and onto the T-reg cell in a process called trogocytosis. Blocking this process with anit-CTLA-4 antibodies is useful for a specific type of cancer immunotherapy called cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation. Japanese immunologist Tasuku Honjo and American immunologist James P. Allison won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2018 for their work on this topic.