First Author | Sommers CL | Year | 1999 |
Journal | J Exp Med | Volume | 190 |
Issue | 10 | Pages | 1427-38 |
PubMed ID | 10562318 | Mgi Jnum | J:58493 |
Mgi Id | MGI:1347723 | Doi | 10.1084/jem.190.10.1427 |
Citation | Sommers CL, et al. (1999) A role for the Tec family tyrosine kinase Txk in T cell activation and thymocyte selection. J Exp Med 190(10):1427-38 |
abstractText | Recent data indicate that several members of the Tec family of protein tyrosine kinases function in antigen receptor signal transduction. Txk, a Tec family protein tyrosine kinase, is expressed in both immature and mature T cells and in mast cells. By overexpressing Txk in T cells throughout development, we found that Txk specifically augments the phospholipase C (PLC)-gamma1-mediated calcium signal transduction pathway upon T cell antigen receptor (TCR) engagement. Although Txk is structurally different from inducible T cell kinase (Itk), another Tec family member expressed in T cells, expression of the Txk transgene could partially rescue defects in positive selection and signaling in itk(-)(/)(-) mice. Conversely, in the itk(+/+) (wild-type) background, overexpression of Txk inhibited positive selection of TCR transgenic thymocytes, presumably due to induction of cell death. These results identify a role for Txk in TCR signal transduction, T cell development, and selection and suggest that the Tec family kinases Itk and Txk perform analogous functions. |