Description
5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT), also known as ecto-5'-nucleotidase or CD73 (cluster of differentiation 73), is an enzyme that is encoded by the NT5E gene.
CD73 commonly serves to convert AMP to adenosine.
Ecto-5-prime-nucleotidase (5-prime-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase) catalyzes the conversion at neutral pH of purine 5-prime mononucleotides to nucleosides, the preferred substrate being AMP.
Other forms of 5-prime nucleotidase exist in the cytoplasm and lysosomes and can be distinguished from ecto-NT5 by their substrate affinities, requirement for divalent magnesium ion, activation by ATP, and inhibition by inorganic phosphate.
Rare allelic variants are associated with a syndrome of adult-onset calcification of joints and arteries (CALJA) affecting the iliac, femoral, and tibial arteries reducing circulation in the legs and the joints of the hands and feet causing pain