LAMP3/CD63

CD63 is a tetraspanin-family protein concentrated in late endosomes and lysosomes, and its recruitment to the plasma membrane upon platelet or basophil activation made it one of the earliest basophil activation markers. The protein traverses the membrane four times and carries a CCG palmitoylation motif characteristic of the tetraspanin web, where it associates with integrins and with P-selectin in platelets. CD63 is highly enriched on exosomes, underpinning its use as an exosome marker in extracellular vesicle research. CD63 mislocalization characterizes Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome type 2 caused by AP-3 complex defects, and the molecule is also detected in melanoma cells.