Protein kinase c and AKT/protein kinase B in CD4+T-lymphocytes: new partners in TCR/CD28 signal integration

T-cell biological responses appear to involve the complex interaction of T-cell surface receptors, intracellular signaling molecules and the cytoskeleton, Both the serine/threonine protein kinase families protein kinase C (PKC) and protein kinase B or RAC-PK (AKT/PKB) have been implicated in signal transmission leading to activation, differentiation as well as cellular survival of T-lymphocytes. The PKC gene family consists of nine diverse isotypes (PKCalpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, xi, eta, theta and tau), the AKT/PKB gene family includes three kinases (AKT1/PKBalpha, AKT2/PKBbeta, AKT3/PKBgamma). Here. we attempt to summarize the regulation as well us downstream signaling pathways of PKC and AKT/PKB isotypes. that may act additive in TCR/CD28 induced proliferation and survival of peripheral CD4+ T-lymphocytes. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.