title: Metabolic regulation of natural killer cells.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells have key roles in anti-viral and anti-tumour immune responses. Recent research demonstrates that cellular metabolism is an important determinant for the function of pro-inflammatory immune cells, including activated NK cells. The mammalian target of rapamcyin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) has been identified as a key metabolic regulator that promotes glycolytic metabolism in multiple immune cell subsets. Glycolysis is integrally linked to pro-inflammatory immune responses such that activated NK cells and effector T-cell subsets are reliant on sufficient glucose availability for maximal effector function. This article will discuss the regulation of cellular metabolism in NK cells as compared with that of T lymphocytes and discuss the implications for NK cell responses to viral infection and cancer.
authors.affiliation: School of Biochemistry and Immunology, and School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland finlayd@tcd.ie.
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Finlay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006019:Glycolysis; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism*; D000076222:Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D000076222:Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
keywords: glucose; glycolysis; immunometabolism; mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1); natural killer cells