Immunity Previews T Helper Cell Differentiation: Understanding the Needs of Hierarchy Thomas Weichhart1,* and Marcus D. Sa¨ emann1,* 1Department of Internal Medicine III, Clinical Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Wa¨ hringer Gu¨ rtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria *Correspondence:
[email protected] (T.W.),
[email protected] (M.D.S.) DOI 10.1016/j.immuni.2010.06.008 In this issue of Immunity, Lee et al. (2010) demonstrate that the mammalian Target of Rapamycin Complex 2 promotes the differentiation of T helper 1 (Th1) cells via the kinase Akt, whereas it independently fosters Th2 cell generation via another kinase, PKC-q. Regulation of the manifold and flexible mTOR is a critical regulator of memory Akt S473 was defective after stimulation requirements of an efficient immune CD8+ T cell generation as well as inflam- with CD3 and CD28 mAb, whereas response to eliminate dangerous micro- matory responses in myeloid antigen-pre- mTORC1-mediated phosphorylation of bes depends on a delicate balance of senting cells (Araki et al., 2009; Weichhart S6K1 was intact. Functionally, however, diverse T helper (Th) cell subsets (Zhu et al., 2008). mTOR is the core component it was found that Rictor-deficient CD4+ et al., 2010). Hence, naive CD4+ Th cells of mTORC1 (mTOR complex 1), which is T cells were unable to differentiate into differentiate into polarized effector Th composed by the adaptor protein Raptor, both Th1 or Th2 cells in vitro, demon- cell subsets depending on the priming whereas Rictor and Sin1 classify strating that mTORC2 is vital for Th1 and cytokine milieu.