The importance of cooperation: partnerless NFAT induces T cell exhaustion.

ABSTRACT

Downstream of costimulatory pathways, complexes of transcription factors NFAT and AP-1 promote effector T cell differentiation. In this issue of Immunity, Martinez et al. report that monomeric NFAT binding in the absence of a transcriptional partner induces a gene expression program involved in T cell exhaustion.