Sjoerd van Deventer

Tetraspanins belong to the family of small 4-transmembrane proteins that play a pivotal role in a broad range of immune-cell signaling pathways. They do so by organizing the distribution and function of proteins at the cell surface, including (immune) receptors and integrins, in so called Tetraspanin-Enriched Microdomains (TEMs). Despite the importance of TEMs in the immune system, little is known about the molecular interactions that hold TEMs together. In this study we aim to identify the domains and molecular patterns responsible for interactions of human tetraspanins involved in immune cell signaling.