T-cell activation and differentiation: Role of signaling and metabolic cross-talk

Abstract

Different types of T effector cells function centrally in the immune-regulatory network, which acts as a line of defense for the body and elicits immune response during any diseased condition. At the molecular level, this functioning is maintained by an intricately designed network of signaling and metabolic pathways that function via multiple cross-talks to regulate complex immune responses during different antigenic challenges. These pathways regulate phenomena such as quiescence exit of naïve T cells, their activation, and differentiation into different effector T cells. Signaling properties of these T cells and their response to different cytokine signals have been well studied. Immune-metabolism is comparatively a new area of research that has been identified as driver for immune response. However, to gain a holistic understanding of the activation and differentiation of naïve T cells into the subtypes, the integration of signaling and metabolic pathway information is a prerequisite. The bidirectional mode of regulation between these cross-talking signaling and metabolic pathways governs the differentiation patterns. In this chapter, we review the activation and differentiation pattern of naïve T cells from both signaling and metabolic perspectives and also look into their cross-talk to understand their mutual regulation during differentiation into effector T cells.