Maintaining Immunity

Abstract

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity regulates many cell processes across many cell types. There are three isoforms of its catalytic subunit p110, but their specificity has not been clear. Okkenhaug et al. generated a mouse that expresses an inactive form of p110 and observed compromised B and T cell immune function. The study reveals a highly selective, nonredundant role for this isoform in lymphocyte antigen receptor signaling, as well as a drug-development target. K. Okkenhaug, A. Bilancio, G. Farjot, H. Priddle, S. Sancho, E. Peskett, W. Pearce, S. E. Meek, A. Salpekar, M. D. Waterfield, A. J. H. Smith, B. Vanhaesebroeck, Impaired B and T cell antigen receptor signaling in p110δ PI 3-kinase mutant mice, Science 297, 1031-1034 (2002). [Abstract] [Full Text]