Role of Wnk1 kinase in T cell adhesion and migration

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White blood cells are a key part of the body's immune system, playing a critical role in combating infections by viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. Our research is focussed on a type white blood cell called a T cell, which can detect the presence of an infectious agent such as a virus inside other cells. We are interested in understanding the mechanism by which a T cell recognises whether another cell contains an infectious agent within it. As part of this process, the T cell and the infected cell have to adhere tightly to each other and we are studying this process of adhesion.In recent work we have identified that a protein called Wnk1 plays an important role in regulating T cell adhesion, and in the research we are now proposing, we will extend this work by examining how the T cells function when they lack the protein, and whether this makes them defective in contributing to normal immune responses. We suspect that Wnk1 may also control how the T cells migrate through the body. Normal T cells are continuously on the move, trafficking between the blood and lymph nodes and the spleen. This continuous movement is a vital feature of the T cells as it allows them to patrol the body looking for signs of infection. We will investigate this potential function of the Wnk1 protein in controlling T cell migration.We suspect that Wnk1 functions as a signalling protein, transmitting signals from the surface of the cell to adhesion molecules. We will investigate this hypothesis further by looking for other proteins to which Wnk1 transmits a signal. Overall our aim is to understand how Wnk1 controls T cell adhesion and migration. Such knowledge will reveal new opportunities for the design of rational drugs that could modulate the function of T cells and thereby the whole immune system.