CD90(Cluster of Differentiation 90) or Thy-1 is a 25€''37 kDa heavily N-glycosylated, glycophosphatidylinositol(GPI) anchored conserved cell surface protein with a single V-like immunoglobulin domain, originally discovered as a thymocyte antigen. The CD90 gene is mapped to 11q23.3. Thy-1 can be used as a marker for a variety of stem cells and for the axonal processes of mature neurons. Structural study of Thy-1 lead to the foundation of the Immunoglobulin superfamily, of which it is the smallest member, and led to the first biochemical description and characterization of a vertebrate GPI anchor.
