title: Metabolic pathways in T cell fate and function.
abstract: T cell growth and function must be tightly regulated to provide protection against foreign pathogens, while avoiding autoimmunity and immunodeficiency. It is now apparent that T cell metabolism is highly dynamic and has a tremendous impact on the ability of T cells to grow, activate and differentiate. Specific metabolic pathways provide energy and biosynthetic precursors that must support specific cell functions, as effector, regulatory, memory, and alloreactive T cells have distinct metabolic needs in immunity and inflammation. Here, we review the signaling pathways that control metabolism and how the metabolic phenotypes of T cell subtypes integrate with T cell function. Ultimately, these metabolic differences may provide new opportunities to modulate the immune response and treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Valerie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Gerriets
authors.forename: Jeffrey C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rathmell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005947:Glucose