The tetraspanin CD9 is preferentially expressed on the human CD4 + CD45RA + naive T cell population and is involved in T cell activation

SUMMARY Human CD4 + T cells can be divided into reciprocal memory and naive T cell subsets based on their expression of CD45 isoforms and CD29/integrin beta1 subunit. To identify unique cell surface molecules on human T cells, we developed a new monoclonal antibody termed anti5H9. Binding of anti5H9 triggers a co‐stimulatory response in human peripheral blood T cells. Retrovirus‐mediated expression cloning has revealed that the antigen recognized by anti5H9 is identical to the tetraspanin CD9. We now show that human CD9 is preferentially expressed on the CD4 + CD45RA + naive T cell subset, and that CD9 + CD45RA + T cells respond preferentially to the recombinant beta 2 ‐glycoprotein I, compared to CD9 – CD45RA + T cells. Furthermore, anti5H9 inhibits both the recombinant beta 2 ‐glycoprotein I‐ and the recall antigen tetanus toxoid‐specific T cell proliferation. These results suggest that the tetraspanin CD9 plays an important role in T cell activation.