Glucose, glycolysis and lymphocyte responses

Abstract

Activated lymphocytes engage in robust growth and rapid proliferation. To achieve this, they tend to adopt a form of glucose metabolism termed aerobic glycolysis. This type of metabolism allows for the use of large amounts of glucose to generate energy, but also to support biosynthetic processes. This review article will discuss how aerobic glycolysis supports the biosynthetic demands of activated T cells, B cells and Natural Killer cells, and the emerging concept that glycolysis is integrally linked to the differentiation and function of these lymphocyte populations.

Keywords: B cell; GAPDH; Galactose; Glucose; Glycolysis; Granzyme B; HIF1-α; IFNγ; Lymphocyte; Metabolism; Natural Killer cell; Oxidative phosphorylation; T cell; c-Myc; mTORC1; review.