Inhibiting the Inhibitor of the Inhibitor: Blocking PKC- to Enhance Regulatory T Cell Function

Kole T. Roybal¹ and Christoph Wülfing^1,2*

¹ Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
² Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.

Abstract: Protein kinase C (PKC-), one of many PKC isoforms expressed in T cells, is important for the activation of mature effector T cells. During T cell activation, PKC- is recruited to the interface between the T cell and the activating cellular interaction partner, the antigen-presenting cell or a synthetic substitute thereof. New evidence establishes that PKC- function differs in regulatory T cells, a T cell subset that suppresses the function of effector T cells. In regulatory T cells, PKC- inhibits their function and, intriguingly, is sequestered from the activating cellular interface. This finding raises several questions of general interest. Does PKC- function overlap with that of other PKC family members? What are the functionally critical distinctions in the similar signaling systems of effector and regulatory T cells? Does the divergent localization of PKC- in regulatory T cells drive function?

* Corresponding author. E-mail: christoph.wuelfing{at}utsouthwestern.edu

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