Bone marrow stromal Antigen-2 (BST-2) is a 30- to 36- kDa type II transmembrane protein, consisting of 180 amino acids. It has been shown to form a complex with Rho-GTPase activating protein, RICH2 (1). This complex is essential for the organization of subapical actin cytoskeleton. BST-2 protein is expressed on certain bonemarrow stromal cell lines and on various normal tissues. The expression pattern of BST2 is relatively different form another bone marrow stromal antigen 1 (BST1). The BST-2 gene is located on chromosome 19p13.2. BST-2 surface expression on fibroblast cell lines facilitated the stromal cell-dependent growth of a murine bone marrow-derived pre-B-cell line, DW34. Some studies suggest that BST-2 may be involved in pre-B-cell growth development by regulating their surface molecules and cytokines (2). BST2 is also expressed in synovial cell lines from where the BST2 gene was cloned. BST2 is predominantly expressed in liver, lungs, heart, placenta and lower levels in pancreas, kidney, skeletal muscle and brain. Naturally all human cells possess an antiviral activity that inhibits the release of retrovirus particles, and other enveloped virus particles. This antiviral activity is antagonized by the HIV-1 accessory protein, Vpu. The antiviral activity can be constitutively induced and expressed by interferon-alfa and is consist of protein based Synonyms: BST-2, Bone marrow stromal antigen 2, HM1.24 antigen, Tetherin