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A tale of two TRAPs: LAT and LAB in the regulation of lymphocyte development, activation, and autoimmunity

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Abstract

Transmembrane adaptor proteins (TRAPs) link antigen receptor engagement to downstream cellular processes. Although these proteins typically lack intrinsic enzymatic activity, they are phosphorylated on multiple tyrosine residues following lymphocyte activation, allowing them to function as scaffolds for the assembly of multi-molecular signaling complexes. Among the many TRAPs that have been discovered in recent years, the LAT (linker for activation of T cells) family of adaptor proteins plays an important role in the positive and negative regulation of lymphocyte maturation, activation, and differentiation. Of the two members in this family, LAT is an indispensable component controlling T cell and mast cell activation and function; LAB (linker for activation of B cells), also called NTAL, is necessary to fine-tune lymphocyte activation and may be a key regulator of innate immune responses. Here, we review recent advances on the function of LAT and LAB in the regulation of development and activation of immune cells.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Institutes of Heath grants AI048674 and AI056156 and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Deirdre M. Fuller, Minghua Zhu, Chih-Wen Ou-Yang, Sarah A. Sullivan & Weiguo Zhang

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  1. Deirdre M. Fuller
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  2. Minghua Zhu
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  3. Chih-Wen Ou-Yang
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  4. Sarah A. Sullivan
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  5. Weiguo Zhang
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Correspondence to Weiguo Zhang.

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Fuller, D.M., Zhu, M., Ou-Yang, CW. et al. A tale of two TRAPs: LAT and LAB in the regulation of lymphocyte development, activation, and autoimmunity. Immunol Res 49, 97–108 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12026-010-8197-3

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