Clodronate treatment significantly depletes macrophages in chickens.

Macrophages function as phagocytes and antigen-presenting cells in the body. As has been demonstrated in mammals, administration of clodronate [dichloromethylene bisphosphonate (Cl2MBP)] encapsulated liposomes results in depletion of macrophages. Although this compound has been used in chickens, its effectiveness in depleting macrophages has yet to be fully determined.

Toll-like receptor 2 ligand, lipoteichoic acid is inhibitory against infectious laryngotracheitis virus infection in vitro and in vivo.

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is one of the pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that activates toll-like receptor (TLR)2-cluster of differentiation (CD)14 signalling pathway. This recognition elicits antiviral responses that have been recorded against viruses of mammals although such responses have not been characterized adequately against avian viruses. In this investigation, we characterized the LTA induced antiviral responses against infectious laryntotracheitis virus (ILTV) infection in vitro and in vivo.

Induction of innate immune response following infectious bronchitis corona virus infection in the respiratory tract of chickens.

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) replicates in the epithelial cells of trachea and lungs of chicken, however the mechanism of generation of innate immune response against IBV infection in these tissues has not been fully characterized. Our objective was to study innate responses induced early following IBV infection in chickens. Initiation of the transcription of selected innate immune genes such as TLR3, TLR7, MyD88, IL-1β and IFN-β, as well as recruitment of macrophages, were evident following an initial down regulation of some of the observed genes (TLR3, IL-1β, and IFN-γ) in trachea and lung.

Arabidopsis mutants lacking asparaginases develop normally but exhibit enhanced root inhibition by exogenous asparagine.

Asparaginase catalyzes the degradation of L-asparagine to L-aspartic acid and ammonia, and is implicated in the catabolism of transported asparagine in sink tissues of higher plants. The Arabidopsis genome includes two genes, ASPGA1 and ASPGB1, belonging to distinct asparaginase subfamilies. Conditions of severe nitrogen limitation resulted in a slight decrease in seed size in wild-type Arabidopsis.

Glycogen hyperphosphorylation underlies lafora body formation.

Objective: Glycogen, the largest cytosolic macromolecule, acquires solubility, essential to its function, through extreme branching. Lafora bodies are aggregates of polyglucosan, a long, linear, poorly branched, and insoluble form of glycogen. Lafora bodies occupy vast numbers of neuronal dendrites and perikarya in Lafora disease in time-dependent fashion, leading to intractable and fatal progressive myoclonus epilepsy.