Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Antigen CD34 (CD34) Protein

Background

CD34 is a well-known cell surface glycoprotein that is primarily expressed on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), as well as on endothelial cells, and is used as a marker to identify early stem cells within the bone marrow and other tissues. This molecule has become an invaluable tool in both research and clinical medicine, particularly in the isolation and characterization of hematopoietic stem cells for bone marrow transplantation, and in the study of angiogenesis due to its presence on vascular endothelium. The CD34 protein belongs to the family of sialomucin-like adhesion molecules. Initially, it was identified as a marker on hematopoietic progenitor cells and subsequently found to be involved in various physiological processes, such as cell adhesion, cell signaling, and migration. CD34 is a highly glycosylated protein, and its extensive post-translational modifications, including sialylation and O-glycosylation, play important roles in its function, particularly in regulating cell-cell interactions and hematopoietic cell homing.