Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 229 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2007. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed on June 25, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Virginia, 2008. / Title from title page. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online through Digital Dissertations.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-22T20:50:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-09-30. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-11T03:25:58Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 Publico-11857a.pdf: 776003 bytes, checksum: 706bab397cf90eafbc8d7328214672da (MD5). Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-11T03:25:59Z : No. of bitstreams: 2 Publico-11857a.pdf: 776003 bytes, checksum: 706bab397cf90eafbc8d7328214672da (MD5) Publico-11857b.pdf: 2062339 bytes, checksum: 8d0ca9b3ac4476504ad8de27d8b090d1 (MD5). Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-11T03:25:59Z : No. of bitstreams: 3 Publico-11857a.pdf: 776003 bytes, checksum: 706bab397cf90eafbc8d7328214672da (MD5) Publico-11857b.pdf: 2062339 bytes, checksum: 8d0ca9b3ac4476504ad8de27d8b090d1 (MD5) Publico-11857c.pdf: 120525 bytes, checksum: 614bb713dcd2fcace0a691958c4f8ae7 (MD5) / Objetivos: C-kit é uma proteína tirosina–quinase transmembrana que possui importante papel na tumorogênese. Com o desenvolvimento de um novo composto, o mesilato de imatinibe, que inibe especificamente os receptores tirosina quinases, o C-kit passou a ser um importante alvo terapêutico. Nosso objetivo é estudar as características histopatológicas do retinoblastoma, a expressão imuno-histoquímica do C-kit neste tumor e correlacionar esta expressão com os principais fatores prognósticos do retinoblastoma. Material e Métodos: Oitenta e quatro blocos de parafina foram selecionados do arquivo do laboratório de patologia ocular Henry C. Witelson, Montreal, Canada. A imunohistoquímica do C-kit foi realizada de modo automatizado e os resultados foram correlacionados com a idade dos pacientes por ocasião do diagnóstico, grau de diferenciação tumoral e presença ou não de invasão de coróide e nervo óptico. O valor de p menor que 0.05 foi considerado estatisticamente significante. Resultados: A expressão imuno-histoquímica do C-Kit foi observada em 33/63 (52.38%) dos espécimes analisados. Apenas 2 dos 13 (15.4%) tumores que não apresentaram invasão de nervo óptico ou coróide foram positivos para C-kit. Por outro lado, a expressão do C-kit foi observada em 31 (62%) dos 50 tumores que apresentaram algum tipo de invasão seja para coróide ou nervo óptico , 26 dos 44 espécimes com envolvimento de coróide (59.9%), e 20 dos 29 com invasão de nervo óptico (68.96%). Quatorze dos 25 espécimes (56%) moderadamente ou bem diferenciados e 19 dos 38 (50%) pouco diferenciados apresentaram positividade para o C-kit. Dos 41 espécimes provenientes de pacientes com idade superior a 1 ano, e dos 14 (42.80%) com idade até 1 ano a expressão do C-kit foi observada em 21 (51,21%) e 6 (42.80%) espécimes respectivamente. Conclusões: Mais da metade dos retinoblastomas estudados expressaram o C-kit . A expressão do C-kit apresenta correlação estatisticamente significante com a a invasão de nervo óptico. / Purpose: C-kit is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase protein thought to play an important role in tumorigenesis. With the development of the compound Imatinib Mesylate which specifically inhibits tyrosine kinase receptors, C-kit has emerged as a potential therapeutic target. This study aims to determine the immunoexpression of C-kit in retinoblastoma and correlate this expression with histopathological prognostic features. Methods: Eighty-four paraffin-embedded enucleation globes of retinoblastoma were collected from the archives of the Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Registry. C-kit immunostaining was used according to the protocol provided by Ventana Medical System Inc., Arizona. Immunoreactivity was correlated with the presence or absence of invasion into the choroid and optic nerve and the degree of tumour defferentiation. Odds ratios were calculated to quantify differences in C-kit expression between tumours with different patterns of invasion. Results: C-kit expression was identified in 33/63 specimens analysed (53.8%).Two of 13 tumours without choroidal or optic nerve invasio (15.4%) were positive for C-kit. C-kit expression was seen in 31 of the 50 tumours with extraretinal invasion (62%, p<0.01), 26 of 44 specimens with choroidal involvement (59.9%, p<0.02), and 20 of the 29 with optic nerve involvement (68.96%, p<0.02). Fourteen of 25 moderate or well-diferentiated specimens (56%) and 19 of 38 undifferentiated specimens (50%) displayed positivity for C-kit (p>0.5). Conclusions: More than half of Retinoblastomas in this study expressed C-kit. The expression of Ckit in these retinoblastomas strongly correlated with histopathological features of worse prognosis including optic nerve and choroidal invasion. / TEDE / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

Orientador: Kleber Gomes Franchini / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-25T14:22:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cordeiro_IsabelleBezerra_D.pdf: 17466566 bytes, checksum: de71f83d2b4d3c8e0f0269f5d61d332d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: A proteína Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK; PTK2) participa de vários processos celulares. A identificação das proteínas parceiras de FAK tem contribuído para o entendimento de suas múltiplas funções celulares. Utilizando um sistema de indução de FAK fusionada a uma cauda de FLAG, combinada com análises por espectrometria de massas (MS), identificamos proteínas associadas à FAK em células HEK293. Um total de 153 proteínas foram repetidamente identificadas com alta resolução por experimentos de MS. Além de confirmar interações já previamente descritas como Paxillin (PXN), Heat shock protein Hsp90 (HSP90) e Transforming growth factor beta-1-induced transcript 1 protein (TGF?1I1), as análises por MS revelaram um novo conjunto de proteínas associadas à FAK, incluindo proteínas envolvidas nas vias de síntese de proteínas, expressão gênica, crescimento celular, proliferação, morte e sobrevivência celular. Além disso, análises de bioinformática das vias indicaram que a FAK se associa com um conjunto de 30 proteínas envolvidas com a via de modificação pós-transcricional do RNA, incluindo a proteína Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 2 (SC-35; SRSF2), que é um marcador de speckles nucleares. Esse conjunto de proteínas está associado ao spliceossomo e um conjunto similar de proteínas também foi identificado com os experimentos que utilizaram somente o domínio FERM da FAK. Validações por Western Blotting e imunocitoquímica demonstraram que FAK se associa e co-localiza com a proteína SC-35 no núcleo celular. Ainda identificamos um papel funcional da FAK no splicing do mRNA. Demonstramos que FAK pode modificar o padrão de splicing de um gene repórter E1A ao ser superexpressa em células HEK. Nosso trabalho propõe novas funções da FAK no núcleo, indicando que esta pode estar envolvida em eventos relacionados à função do RNA, como a regulação do splicing do mRNA / Abstract: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK; PTK2) has roles in many cellular processes. The identification of protein partners for FAK has greatly contributed to our understanding of its multiple function. Using inducible FLAG-tagged FAK combined with affinity/purification mass spectrometry (MS) approach, we identified proteins associated with FAK in HEK293 cells. A total of 153 proteins were repeatedly detected in high-resolution MS measurements. Beyond the well characterized partnering with Paxillin (PXN), Heat Shock protein 90 (HSP90) and Transforming growth factor beta-1-induced transcript 1 protein (TGFB1I1), analysis of MS data uncovered novel sets of proteins that associate with FAK, playing a role in protein synthesis, gene expression, cellular growth, proliferation, death and survival. In addition, the network analysis established the unexpected finding that a module of 30 proteins linked to RNA post-transcriptional modifications are recruited by FAK, including Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 2 (SC-35; SRSF2), which is a marker of the nuclear speckles. Indeed, this module is found to be enriched by proteins associated with spliceosome. Remarkably, a similar set of proteins was also recruited by FAK N-terminal FERM domain. Biochemical and imunofluorescence validations established that FAK associates and co-localizes with SC-35 protein at the cell nuclei. We further pinpoint a functional role of FAK in mRNA splicing. We showed that FAK can modify the splicing site selection of the adenoviral E1A minigene in a dose-dependent manner. Our work provides new insights into the molecular function of FAK in the nucleus, indicating that it may be involved in events related to RNA function, such as pre-mRNA splicing / Doutorado / Bioquimica / Doutora em Biologia Funcional e Molecular

Orientador : Kleber Gomes Franchini / Tese (Doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T00:30:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Antunes_JoaoEustaquio_D.pdf: 5472161 bytes, checksum: d84f6389e6baf3e2959126f6345e6a14 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: A compreensão de como a quinase de adesão focal (FAK) contribui para os processos de hipertrofia, insuficiência cardíaca e câncer são de grande interesse científico. Um dos nossos objetivos específicos é desenvolver inibidores desta tirosina quinase com vistas à sua aplicação terapêutica no tratamento de insuficiência cardíaca e câncer. Portanto, foi realizado planejamento racional e a síntese de inibidores farmacológicos para a FAK. Estudos computacionais de docking e farmacocinéticos permitiram selecionar 28 estruturas de quinazolina mais promissoras em relação à capacidade de inibir a FAK. Desta forma, economiza-se tempo e dinheiro para obter-se a síntese apenas de 6 das estruturas pré-selecionadas. Uma quinazolina denominada 4-BZLO foi sintetizada após o planejamento racional. Tal quinazolina foi capaz de inibir em 50% da atividade da FAK in vitro com aproximadamente 1nM. Os testes de pureza da síntese, absorção por via oral, melhor resultado em triagem em células que superexpressam a FAK e o melhor resultado para triagem em duas linhagens de célula leucêmicas e tumor sólido permitiram direcionar o 4- BZLO para ser o composto líder deste estudo. O composto 4-BZLO apresentou resultado promissor para experimentos com camundongos submetidos à coarctação da aorta, que induz hipertrofia cardíaca. Para avaliar se o tratamento preventivo seria eficiente para hipertrofia cardíaca, foi realizado experimento em animais tratados com 30mg/Kg/dia durante 30 dias. Após este período, foi realizada cirurgia de coarctação da aorta para induzir a hipertrofia cardíaca nos animais e os mesmos foram tratados por mais 30 dias. Parâmetros tais como: peso médio do ventrículo esquerdo sobre peso corpóreo de cada animal (LVW/BW), medida da espessura da parede do ventrículo esquerdo (LVWT) e parâmetros histológicos (diâmetro dos miócitos cardíacos) demonstrou que nos animais tratados houve regressão da hipertrofia comparada ao controle (animais sem tratamento). Outro estudo realizado no qual os animais foram tratados de maneira curativa, ou seja, o tratamento foi realizado somente após a coarctação da aorta demonstrou uma melhora no quadro de hipertrofia e função cardíaca. O modelo de fibrose cardíaca foi usado para avaliar se tratamento com 4-BZLO é capaz de reduzir a fibrose cardíaca nos animais. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que os animais tratados com 4-BZLO por 30 dias apresentaram redução da acumulação de colágeno, que é um indicador de fibrose, em relação ao controle. Nosso laboratório desenvolveu camundongos transgênicos específicos para a FAK que desenvolve moderada hipertrofia cardíaca. Assim, tal modelo permitiu testar o tratamento com o 4-BZLO para hipertrofia cardíaca induzida pela FAK. Os animais transgênicos específicos para a FAK foram tratados com o composto líder e houve melhora dos parâmetros cardíacos. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que a quinazolina denominada 4-BZLO é um bom candidato a fármaco como inibidor da FAK / Abstract: Understanding how the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) contributes to the processes of hypertrophy, heart failure and cancer are of great scientific interest. One of our goals is to develop specific inhibitors of this tyrosine kinase with potential therapeutic application in the treatment of heart failure and cancer. In this view, we used rational design to select a group of possible FAK inhibitors. Computational studies such as docking and pharmacokinetic studies allowed us to select 28 structures most likely to inhibit FAK. In this way, we saved up time and money in devising the synthesis of 6 pre-selected structures. Accordingly, quinazoline 4-BZLO was prepared and was able to inhibit the in vitro activity of FAK by 50% at a concentration of approximately 1nM. Several factors contributed to 4-BZLO being chosen as the lead compound in this study: 1) the degree of purity achieved during synthesis; 2) good oral bioavailability; 3) the best inhibition values in cells over expressing FAK in screening, 4) the best result against two leukemic cell lines and one solid tumor target. 4-BZLO showed promising results in experiments with mice subjected to aortic coarctation, which develops cardiac hypertrophy. To assess whether 4- BZLO would be effective for the preventive treatment of cardiac hypertrophy, an experiment was conducted in animals treated with 30 mg/kg/day for 30 days. After this period, an aortic coarctation was performed surgically in order to induce cardiac hypertrophy in animals, and these were further treated for 30 days. Parameters such as left ventricular weight per body weight ratio (LVW/BW), measurement of the left ventricle wall thickness (LVWT), and histological parameters, such as the diameter of cardiac myocytes in treated animals showed that there was a regression of hypertrophy, compared to untreated animals (control). A similar study, where treatment with 4-BZLO was performed only after aortic coarctation showed an improvement regarding hypertrophy and cardiac function. A cardiac fibrosis model was used and the results obtained demonstrated that animals treated with 4-BZLO for 30 days showed a reduction of collagen accumulation, which is an indicator of fibrosis, equal to the control group. Our laboratory has developed transgenic mice specific for FAK, which develop moderate cardiac hypertrophy. Consequently, this model allows us to test 4-BZLO for the treatment of FAK induced cardiac hypertrophy. The transgenic animals were treated with 4-BZLO, leading to an improvement of the cardiac parameters. These results showed that synthetic quinazoline 4-BZLO is a good drug candidate for the inhibition of the FAK enzyme / Doutorado / Farmacologia / Doutor em Farmacologia

La technologie iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cells) permet l’obtention d’une source cellulaire illimitée pour la modélisation et la thérapie de maladies génétiques, la médecine régénérative, l’étude pharmacologique et récemment la modélisation et l’étude du cancer. La leucémie myéloïde chronique (LMC) est la pathologie modèle du concept de « cellule souche cancéreuse » : des cellules souches LMC (CS-LMC) s’avèrent résistantes aux inhibiteurs de tyrosine kinases (ITK), traitement conventionnel de ce syndrome myéloprolifératif. Elles sont responsables de la persistance d’une maladie résiduelle et de rechutes lors de l’interruption du traitement. Malheureusement, leur isolement est difficile. Nous proposons dans ce travail de modéliser les CS-LMC par les iPSC LMC. Nous montrons pour la première fois dans les iPSC LMC que BCR-ABL1 réprime l’expression des facteurs clés de la pluripotence (OCT4,NANOG, le cluster miR302-367) via les kinases ERK1/2. Les ITK, en bloquant l’activité deBCR-ABL1, entraîne une hausse des niveaux d’expression de ces marqueurs. L’effet « prosouche» des ITK, découvert dans les iPSC LMC, est également observé lors du traitement de CS-LMC primaires. L’agent thérapeutique pourrait ainsi, en maintenant ou renforçant le compartiment LMC immature, participer paradoxalement à la persistance de la maladie résiduelle. Étonnamment, les ITK augmentent également l’expression des marqueurs« souches » dans les iPSC et CS hématopoïétiques normales. Ce résultat suggère un effet« pro-souche » généralisé à plusieurs types cellulaires. / IPSC (induced pluripotent stem cells) offer renewable source of biologically relevant human cells for genetic diseases modelling and therapy, regenerative medicine, pharmacological study and, recently, cancer research. The proof of « cancer stem cell concept » was established in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) : CML stem cells (CML-SC) are resistant to treatment (tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI)). They are involved in residual disease persistence and relapse when treatment is discontinued in the majority of patients. We modelled CML-SC with CML iPSC. We showed, for the first time, that BCR-ABL1 acts as a repressor of key stemness markers (OCT4, NANOG, miR302-367 cluster) via ERK1/2 in human CML iPSC. By blocking BCR–ABL1 activity, TKI increase pluripotency gene expression. Interestingly, a similar pro-stemness effect was observed during CML-SC treatment. By inducing a more primitive stemness phenotype, TKI could promote residual disease and relapse. Interestingly, an increase of stemness gene expression was also observed during TKI treatment of healthy cells (iPSC and hematopoietic stem cells). These data suggest a global TKI pro-stemness effect in other stem cell types.

To understand the functional interactions between the TrkA and p75 nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors, we employed several lines of investigation including biophysical, biochemical and cellular assays. A high-affinity nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor is thought to be a complex of two receptors, p75 and the receptor tyrosine kinase, TrkA. The existence of a gp75-TrkA complex was demonstrated by a copatching technique. p75 on the surface of intact cells is patched with an anti-p75 antibody and fluorescent secondary antibody, the cells are then fixed to prevent further antibody-induced redistributions, and the distribution of TrkA is probed with an anti-TrkA antibody and fluorescent secondary antibody. We utilize a baculovirus-insect cell expression system, which allows high level expression of wild-type and mutated NGF receptors. TrkA and p75 copatch in both the absence and presence of NGF. This association is specific, since p75 does not copatch with other tyrosine kinase receptors, including TrkB, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β and Torso (Tor). To determine which domains of TrkA are required for copatching, we used a series of TrkA-Tor chimeric receptors and show that the extracellular domain of TrkA is sufficient for copatching with p75. A chimeric receptor with TrkA transmembrane and intracellular domains shows partial copatching with p75. Deletion of the intracellular domain of p75 decreases but does not eliminate copatching. A point mutation that inactivates the TrkA kinase has no effect on copatching, indicating that this enzymatic activity is not required for association with p75. Hence, although interactions between the p75 and TrkA extracellular domains are sufficient for complex formation, interactions involving other receptor domains also play a role. To study what signal transduction mechanisms were activated by the two receptors to bring about differentiation and survival, we stably transfected LAN5 neuroblastoma cells with an expression vector for ET-R, a chimeric receptor with the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the TrkA transmembrane and intracellular domains. EGF activated the ET-R kinase and induced partial differentiation. NGF, which can bind to endogenous p75, did not induce differentiation, but enhanced the EGF-induced response, leading to differentiation of almost all of the cells. A mutated NGF, 3T-NGF, that binds to TrkA but not to p75 did not synergize with EGF. Enhancement of EGF-induced differentiation required at least nanomolar concentrations of NGF, consistent with the low-affinity p75 binding site. EGF may induce a limited number of neuronal cells because it also enhances apoptosis. Both NGF and a caspase inhibitor reduced apoptosis and, thereby, enhanced differentiation. NGF appears to enhance survival through the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) pathway. Consistent with this hypothesis, Akt, a downstream effector of the PI3K pathway, was hyperphosphorylated in the presence of EGF+NGF. These results demonstrate that TrkA kinase initiates differentiation, and p75 enhances differentiation by rescuing differentiating cells from apoptosis via the PI3K pathway. Even though both EGF and NGF are required for differentiation of LAN5/ET-R cells, only NGF is required for survival of the differentiated cells. In the absence of NGF, the cells die by an apoptotic mechanism, involving caspase-3. An anti-p75 antibody blocked the survival effect of NGF. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor also enhanced cell survival, indicating that in differentiated cells, NGF acts through the p75 receptor to prevent apoptosis.

T cell development in the thymus produces multiple lineages of cells, including conventional naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, regulatory T cells, and innate T cells. Innate T cells encompass γδ T cells, invariant natural killer (iNKT) cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, and H2-M3-restricted cells (Berg, 2007). Although they are a minor subset of all thymocytes, innate T cells develop in the thymus and share characteristics of the innate and adaptive immune systems (Berg, 2007). These lymphocytes undergo antigen receptor rearrangement and are able to exert their effector function immediately upon ex vivo stimulation (Berg, 2007). However, in several strains of mice harboring mutations in T cell signaling proteins or transcriptional regulators, conventional CD8+ T cells develop as innate cells that share characteristics with memory T cells (Atherly et al., 2006b; Broussard et al., 2006; Fukuyama et al., 2009; Gordon et al., 2011; Verykokakis et al., 2010b; Weinreich et al., 2010). One of these signaling proteins, inducible T cell kinase (Itk) is a nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase that signals downstream of the T cell receptor (TCR) (Berg et al., 2005). Upon TCR activation, Itk is activated and recruited to the TCR signaling complex, where Itk interacts with Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing leukocyte phosphoprotein of 76 kDa (SLP-76), linker for activation of T cells (LAT), and phospholipase C γ1 (PLCγ1) (Berg et al., 2005). Thus, in Itk-deficient mice, TCR signaling is disrupted, which results in mature CD4- CD8+ (CD8SP) thymocytes that are CD44high, CD62Lhigh, CD122+, and CXCR3+ and that express high levels of the transcription factor, Eomesodermin (Eomes) (Atherly et al., 2006b; Broussard et al., 2006; Weinreich et al., 2010). Recently, it was determined that the development of these innate CD8SP thymocytes in itk-/- mice is dependent on IL-4 produced in the thymic environment by a poorly characterized subset of CD3+ thymocytes expressing the transcriptional regulator, promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) (Gordon et al., 2011; Verykokakis et al., 2010b; Weinreich et al., 2010). Here we show that a sizeable proportion of mature CD4+ CD8- (CD4SP) thymocytes in itk-/- mice also develop as Eomesodermin+ innate T cells. These Eomes+ innate CD4+ T cells are CD44high, CD62Lhigh, CD122+, and CXCR3+ (Atherly et al., 2006b; Broussard et al., 2006; Dubois et al., 2006; Weinreich et al., 2010). Surprisingly, neither CD4SP nor CD8SP innate thymocytes in itk-/- mice are dependent on γδ T cells for their development as was previously hypothesized (Alonzo and Sant'Angelo, 2011). Instead, both subsets of innate itk-/- T cells require the presence of a novel PLZF-expressing, SAP-dependent thymocyte population that is essential for the conversion of conventional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells into Eomesodermin-expressing innate T cells with a memory phenotype. This novel subset of PLZF-expressing SAP-dependent innate T cells preferentially home to the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes and have a restricted TCR repertoire. Thus, we have christened this subset as CD4+ PLZF + MAIT-like cells. We have characterized multiple subsets of innate T cells that expand in the absence of Itk. Therefore, we were interested in how innate T cells respond to infection. Although Itk KO mice have defects in cytolytic function and cytokine production during an acute infection, these mice are able to clear viral infections (Atherly et al., 2006a; Bachmann et al., 1997). Hence, we hypothesized that Itk-deficient memory CD8+ T cells would be able to provide protection upon a challenge infection. Conversely, we found this not to be true although Itk-deficient memory CD8+ T cells were present in similar frequencies and cell numbers as WT memory CD8+ T cells at 42 days post-infection. Furthermore, Itk-deficient memory CD8+ T cells were able to produce IFNγ and exert cytolytic function upon stimulation. Although the function of Itk-deficient memory CD8+ T cells appeared to be intact, we found that these cells were unable to expand in response to a challenge infection. Remarkably, conventional memory CD8+ T cells lacking Itk were able to expand and form protective memory responses upon challenge. Thus, the inability of Eomes+ innate CD8+ T cells to form protective memory responses does not appear to be intrinsic to cells deficient in Itk. This thesis is divided into six major chapters. The first chapter will provide an introduction to T cell development and the role of Itk in T cell development. Additionally, it will introduce a variety of innate T cell subsets that will be discussed throughout this thesis and will provide an overview of CD4+ and CD8 + T cell differentiation during infection. This section will explain the role of Itk in CD4+ helper T cell differentiation and describe how Itk-deficient CD8+ T cells respond to acute infection. The introduction will also discuss the generation of conventional memory CD8+ T cells. The second chapter will provide the details of the experimental procedures used in this thesis. The third chapter will describe the characterization and development of Eomes+ innate CD4+ T cells that develop in the absence of Itk. Additionally, this chapter will address the subset of PLZF+ innate T cells that induce the expression of Eomes in innate T cells. The fourth chapter will further characterize and explore the development of itk-/- CD4+ PLZF+ MAIT-like T cells. The fifth chapter will examine the role of Eomes + innate CD8+ T cells in protective memory responses. Chapters three through five will display work that is in preparation to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. The sixth chapter will discuss the results of this thesis and their implications.