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Like the other members in the CMTM protein family, CMTM6 has a structure that contains domains (i.e. parts) similar to those in chemokine proteins; tetraspanin proteins (also termed transmembrane-4 superfamily proteins); the myelin and lymphocyte protein (also termed MAR protein); proteins that direct membrane vesicle trafficking; and proteins that are embedded across cell membranes. CMTM6 proteins are expressed in virtually all tissues and are located in cell plasma membranes (i.e. cell surface membranes), lysosomes, endosomes, cytosol, attached to the cell's cytoskeleton, and in extracellular spaces.
Functions and actions
CMTM6 localizes with and binds to cell PD-L1 protein located on cell surface membranes thereby maintaining PD-L1'S expression at this site; it also localizes with PD-L1 protein located in recycling endosomes and thereby prevents PD-L1 from being degraded by lysosomal enzymes. These actions increase and maintain high levels of PD-L1 on cell surface membranes. PD-L1 protein on the surface of normal cells binds to PD-1 receptors on a type of cytotoxic T cells (i.e. CD8+ T cells) and thereby blocks these T-cells from organizing an immune response that would kill them. This PD-L1/CD8+ T cell circuit is one of several immune checkpoint mechanisms for maintaining self-tolerance, i.e. for preventing CD8+ T cells from attacking normal cells. Tumor cells may employ this immune-evading tactic: they may express PD-L1 and thereby block CD8+ T cell-mediated immune responses to themselves. In effect, the robust expression of PD-L1 helps not only normal cells but also cancer cells to evade immune destruction.
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