Expression of EBV/C3d receptors on T cells: biological significance

Abstract

There is overwhelming evidence that a single polypeptide serves as a receptor for both the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), and for certain enzymatic fragments of C3. This receptor, termed CR2 (CD21), is known to be expressed on the surfaces of B cells, and a large body of evidence suggests that CR2, or related structures, are also expressed on cells of the T lineage. Here, Constantine Tsoukas and John Lambris review the studies of CR2 expression in T cells and offer some speculation on its possible biological significance.