eEF2K Enhances Virus-Specific Effector CD8+ T Cell Responses During Viral Infection 2314

Abstract Description Eukaryotic Elongation Factor-2 Kinase (eEF2K), a well-known negative regulator of protein synthesis, has been extensively studied in cancer biology, yet its role in immune cells, particularly T cells, remains underexplored. In this study, we investigated eEF2K’s impact on T cells during vaccinia virus (VACV) infection. Our results demonstrate that eEF2K-deficient (eEF2K-/-) mice exhibit an increased proportion of VACV-specific effector CD8+ T cells without compromising the formation of VACV-specific memory T cells. RNA-sequencing analysis further revealed that eEF2K-/- VACV-specific effector CD8+ T cells possess enhanced functionality, improving their effectiveness in combating viral infection during the effector stage. Notably, we identified TRAF3 as a key mediator of the amplified antiviral response observed in eEF2K-/- VACV-specific effector CD8+ T cells. These findings suggest that targeting eEF2K may be a promising approach to boost effector CD8+ T cell responses during viral infections. Funding Sources Supported by NIH R01CA221867 and R21AI167793. Topic Categories Immune Response Regulation: Molecular Mechanisms (IRM)