CD52 polyclonal antibody

CD52 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked surface antigen present at high levels on epithelial cells lining the male reproductive tract, thymocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes and macrophages. It is also present at variable levels on lymphoid malignancies. During sperm maturation, spermatozoa passing through the genital tract acquire CD52 that is shed from the epithelial cell lining into seminal plasma. CD52 is detectable on the surface of epididymal sperm and in the ejaculate but not on spermatogenetic cells or testicular spermatozoa. The peptide backbone of CD52, which consists of 12 amino acids, is considered a mere scaffold for posttranslational modifications, such as GPI-anchor and N-glycosylation.