ObjectiveTo study how CD73 is shed from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) surface.MethodsCD73 shedding was induced by treating RPE with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and TNF-α. After Phospholipase C (PLC) or pan matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors were added, surface amount of CD73 was evaluated by flow cytometry (FACS). Then selective inhibitors or their corresponding siRNAs of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were applied to the treatments of RPE; and their effects on induced CD73 shedding were evaluated by FACS. By site directed mutagenesis, mutations were introduced to Lys547-Phe548 coding sites of CD73 cDNA, which was cloned in a pcDNA mammalian expression vector. Both wt-CD73 and mutated-CD73 were over expressed in CD73-/- RPE and their induced shedding was compared.ResultsLPS and TNF-α induced CD73 shedding from RPE was completely blocked by the addition of pan MMP inhibitor but not PLC inhibitor. Selective MPP-9, but not MMP-2, inhibitor or its siRNA blocked CD73 shedding. In CD73-/- RPE induced CD73 shedding was happened to overexpressed wt-CD73 but not Lys547-Phe548 sites mutant CD73.ConclusionMMP-9 is responsible for shedding CD73 from RPE through hydrolyzing its Lys547 -Phe548 sites.