NF- κB inducing kinase (NIK) is an essential post-transcriptional regulator of T-cell activation affecting F-actin dynamics and TCR signaling.

NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) is an essential post-transcriptional regulator of T-cell activation affecting F-actin dynamics and TCR signaling. J Autoimmun. 2018 Jul 27;: Authors: Lacher SM, Thurm C, Distler U, Mohebiany AN, Israel N, Kitic M, Ebering A, Tang Y, Klein M, Wabnitz GH, W.e F, Samstag Y, Bopp T, Kurschus FC, Simeoni L, Tenzer S, Waisman A Abstract NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) is the key protein of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway and is important for the development of lymph nodes and other secondary immune organs. We elucidated the specific role of NIK in T cells using T-cell specific NIK-deficient (NIKΔT) mice. Despite showing normal development of lymphoid organs, NIKΔT mice were resistant to induction of CNS autoimmunity. T cells from NIKΔT mice were deficient in late priming, failed to up-regulate T-bet and to transmigrate into the CNS. Proteomic analysis of activated NIK-/- T cells showed de-regulated expression of proteins involved in the formation of the immunological synapse: in particular, proteins involved in cytoskeleton dynamics. In line with this we found that NIK-deficient T cells were hampered in phosphorylation of Zap70, LAT, AKT, ERK1/2 and PLCγ upon TCR engagement. Hence, our data disclose a hitherto unknown function of NIK in T-cell priming and differentiation. PMID: 30061013 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Autoimmunity - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: J Autoimmun Source Type: research