The Differential Roles of PI3K P110 Isoforms in Regulating CD4 T Cell Subset Polarization

Abstract

Class IA phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinases, or PI3K’s, are one of the earliest bottlenecks for T cell receptor signaling transduction, without which phosphorylated phosphatidylinositides cannot be generated and the T cell activation cascade becomes impaired. Of the catalytic class IA PI3K subunits, there are three isoforms designated as p110α, p110β, and p110δ. The Khleif laboratory has discovered that these catalytic subunits display unique roles in T regulatory cells and non-polarized activated CD4+ T cells. This thesis aims to determine what differential control these p110 isoforms have upon distinct polarized CD4+ T cell subsets.