BCMA PE

BCMA (B cell maturation antigen), also known as CD269, is a ~27 kDa type III transmembrane glycoprotein encoded by the TNFRSF17 gene. It features a single TNFR-Cys repeat in its extracellular domain, followed by a transmembrane segment and a cytoplasmic tail that interacts with TRAF family proteins. CD269 is primarily expressed as a homotrimer on germinal center B cells, plasmablasts, and plasma cells, where it plays a critical role in the survival and maintenance of long-lived plasma cells.Its ligands, BAFF (CD257) and APRIL (CD256), activate intracellular signaling pathways essential for B cell maturation. CD269 is notably overexpressed in B cell malignancies, especially in multiple myeloma, and is implicated in autoimmune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Additionally, a soluble form of BCMA, produced by γ-secretase cleavage, can act as a decoy receptor to modulate the availability and signaling of its ligands, thereby influencing plasma cell differentiation and survival.