title: Tec family kinases in T lymphocyte development and function.
abstract: The Tec family tyrosine kinases are now recognized as important mediators of antigen receptor signaling in lymphocytes. Three members of this family, Itk, Rlk, and Tec, are expressed in T cells and activated in response to T cell receptor (TCR) engagement. Although initial studies demonstrated a role for these proteins in TCR-mediated activation of phospholipase C-gamma, recent data indicate that Tec family kinases also regulate actin cytoskeletal reorganization and cellular adhesion following TCR stimulation. In addition, Tec family kinases are activated downstream of G protein-coupled chemokine receptors, where they play parallel roles in the regulation of Rho GTPases, cell polarization, adhesion, and migration. In all these systems, however, Tec family kinases are not essential signaling components, but instead function to modulate or amplify signaling pathways. Although they quantitatively reduce proximal signaling, mutations that eliminate Tec family kinases in T cells nonetheless qualitatively alter T cell development and differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655, USA. Leslie.Berg@umassmed.edu
authors.forename: Leslie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Lisa D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Pamela L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Schwartzberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D015394:Molecular Structure; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018106:CD28 Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; C089848:Tec protein-tyrosine kinase; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases