Exosomes from human lymphoblastoid B cells express enzymatically active CD38 that is associated with signaling complexes containing CD81, Hsc-70 and Lyn.

Exosome vesicles of endocytic origin are involved in communication between tumor and immune cells. In addition, membrane rafts (MR) may support the sorting of proteins associated with exosomes. CD38 is found at the plasma membrane and in recycling endosomes, which are both redistributed toward the immunological synapse (IS) upon T cell antigen receptor (TCR) engagement.

Antigen-induced clustering of surface CD38 and recruitment of intracellular CD38 to the immunologic synapse.

During immunologic synapse (IS) formation, human CD38 redistributes to the contact area of T cell-antigen-presenting cell (APC) conjugates in an antigen-dependent manner. Confocal microscopy showed that CD38 preferentially accumulated along the contact zone, whereas CD3-zeta redistributed toward the central zone of the IS. APC conjugates with human T cells or B cells transiently expressing CD38-green fluorescent protein revealed the presence of 2 distinct pools of CD38, one localized at the cell membrane and the other in recycling endosomes.