TCR-signaling events in cellular metabolism and specialization

Engaging the T cell receptor (TCR) with peptide:MHC complexes initiates a cascade of signaling events that activates T cells in an antigen-specific manner. It is now clear that multiple inputs, including the strength of TCR signaling, co-stimulation, and the cytokine environment, impact T cell specialization decisions in the context of specific pathogenic encounters. Additionally, it is now appreciated that these same stimuli direct cellular metabolism programs. In this review, we will discuss how TCR-signaling events coordinate cellular metabolism and specialization gene programs in T cells.