CD9, a tetraspanin protein, makes crucial contributions to sperm egg fusion, other cellular fusions, epidermal growth factor receptor signaling, cell motility, and tumor suppression. Here we characterize a low affinity anti-CD9 antibody, C9BB, which binds preferentially to homoclustered CD9. Using mAb C9BB as a tool, we show that cell surface CD9 homoclustering is promoted by expression of ␣31 and ␣64 integrins and by palmitoylation of the CD9 and 4 proteins. Conversely, CD9 is shifted toward heteroclusters upon expression of CD9 partner proteins (EWI-2 and EWI-F) or other tetraspanins, or upon ablation of CD9 palmitoylation. Furthermore, unpalmitoylated CD9 showed enhanced EWI-2 association, thereby demonstrating a previously unappreciated role for tetraspanin palmitoylation, and underscoring how depalmitoylation and EWI-2 association may collaborate to shift CD9 from homo-to heteroclusters. In conclusion, we have used a novel molecular probe (mAb C9BB) to demonstrate the existence of multiple types of CD9 complex on the cell surface. A shift from homo-to heteroclustered CD9 may be functionally significant because the latter was especially obvious on malignant epithelial tumor cells. Hence, because of its specialized properties, C9BB may be more useful than other anti-CD9 antibodies for monitoring CD9 during tumor progression.Tetraspanin protein CD9 has attracted considerable attention for its crucial role on oocytes during sperm egg fusion (1-3). CD9 also contributes to myoblast fusion (4) mononuclear phagocyte fusion (5), virus-induced syncytia formation (6, 7), osteoclastogenesis (5), and paranodal junction formation in the peripheral nervous system (8). CD9 also promotes juxtacrine signaling by associating with epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor membrane-bound agonists, pro-TGF␣, pro-HB-EGF, and pro-amphiregulin (9 -11). CD9 may affect paracrine signaling by either promoting (12) or inhibiting (9) proteolytic production of soluble EGF receptor agonist. The latter result could help to explain CD9 tumor suppressor properties. Indeed, CD9 expression is often markedly reduced in malignant melanoma (13), colon (14), bladder (15), lung (16), pancreatic (17), squamous cell (18,19), and breast cancers (20,21). Furthermore, CD9 signaling can decrease cell proliferation while promoting apoptosis (22), and ectopic CD9 can suppress tumor cell motility and metastasis (23, 24), and down-regulate Wnt signaling pathways (25).Tetraspanins typically assemble into multimolecular membrane complexes. In this regard, CD9 can directly associate with transmembrane Ig superfamily proteins EWI 2 -F (CD9P-1, FPRP) and EWI-2 (26 -29), which can drive CD9 into filopodia (32). CD9 also directly associates with itself, suggesting that CD9-CD9 homodimers are building blocks for larger tetraspanin complexes (30). Additional partners for CD9 include the laminin-binding integrins ␣31, ␣61, and ␣64 (31). One consequence of integrin-CD9 association is the recruitment of EWI-2, via CD9, into a functionally important EWI2-CD9-integrin ...