NF-{kappa}B control of T cell development

The NF- kappa B signal transduction pathway is best known as a major regulator of innate and adaptive immune responses, yet there is a growing appreciation of its importance in immune cell development, particularly of T lineage cells. In this Review, we discuss how the temporal regulation of NF-?B controls the stepwise differentiation and antigen-dependent selection of conventional and specialized subsets of T cells in response to T cell receptor and costimulatory, cytokine and growth factor signals.