In
immunology, the
CD3 (
cluster of differentiation 3) T-cell co-receptor helps to activate the cytotoxic T-Cell. It consists of a protein complex and is composed of four distinct chains. In mammals, the complex contains a
CD3γ chain, a
CD3δ chain, and two
CD3ε chains. These chains associate with a molecule known as the
T-cell receptor (TCR) and the
ζ-chain (zeta-chain) to generate an activation signal in
T lymphocytes. The TCR, ζ-chain, and CD3 molecules together comprise the TCR complex.