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Updated: May 12, 2026

Spatial and Temporal Control of T Cell Activation Using a Photoactivatable Agonist
Published on: April 25, 2018
Diacylglycerol kinases: regulated controllers of T cell activation, function, and development
Rohan P Joshi1, Gary A Koretzky
1Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. koretzky@mail.med.upenn.edu.
Abstract:
Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) are a diverse family of enzymes that catalyze the conversion of diacylglycerol (DAG), a crucial second messenger of receptor-mediated signaling, to phosphatidic acid (PA). Both DAG and PA are bioactive molecules that regulate a wide set of intracellular signaling proteins involved in innate and adaptive immunity. Clear evidence points to a critical role for DGKs in modulating T cell activation, function, and development. More recently, studies have elucidated factors that control DGK function, suggesting an added complexity to how DGKs act during signaling. This review summarizes the available knowledge of the function and regulation of DGK isoforms in signal transduction with a particular focus on T lymphocytes.
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