BD Transduction Laboratories™ Purified Mouse Anti-Human CD38

Lymphocyte trafficking is essential for efficient immune responses in that it allows antigen sensitive lymphocytes to encounter antigen and be recruited to sites of infection. Trafficking involves the passage of lymphocytes across the HEV, a process that is mediated by selectins. CD38 is a single-chain type II transmembrane glycoprotein that is expressed by a variety of immature and activated lymphocytes. It mediates a selectin-like binding to endothelial cells, thus functioning as an adhesion molecule. Human and mouse forms of the protein are highly similar and homologous to the Aplysia californica ADP-ribosyl-cyclase. CD38 catalyzes the synthesis of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR), a putative endogenous regulator of calcium release. This is thought to be key to CD38-mediated signal transduction. A possible ligand for CD38 is the Ig superfamily protein CD31. In addition, activation of CD38 with a monoclonal antibody induces leukemic cell proliferation. Thus, CD38 is a cell surface protein that is important for lymphocyte migration and may be involved in the propagation of leukemic cells in AML (acute myelogenous leukemia).