CD73 and adhesion of B-cells to follicular dendritic cells.

CD73, otherwise known as ecto-5'-nucleotidase, is a lymphocyte maturation marker which is involved in intracellular signalling, lymphocyte proliferation and activation. In addition, we have demonstrated that CD73 is involved in mediating lymphocyte binding to in vitro cultured endothelial cells and in controlling adhesion between freshly isolated germinal center B-cells and follicular dendritic cells (FDC). In secondary lymphoid tissues, CD73 is expressed on FDC in the light zone of the germinal center as well as on small, resting mantle zone B-cells but not on B-cells within germinal centers. In this review article, the potential role of CD73 in controlling B-cell-FDC interactions and B-cell maturation will be discussed.