Publications by authors named "E M Oltz"
The assembly of Tcrb and Tcra genes require double negative (DN) thymocytes to undergo multiple rounds of programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), followed by their efficient repair. However, mechanisms governing cell cycle checkpoints and specific survival pathways during the repair process remain unclear. Here, we report high-resolution scRNA-seq analyses of individually sorted mouse DN3 and DN4 thymocytes, which reveals a G2M cell cycle checkpoint, in addition to the known G1 checkpoint, during Tcrb and Tcra recombination.
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- SARS-CoV-2 is evolving, resulting in new variants like XEC, which has specific mutations (T22N and F59S) in the spike protein that affect how the virus interacts with neutralizing antibodies.
- The study analyzed immune responses from different vaccinated groups and found that XEC had significantly lower neutralization levels due to the F59S mutation, but removing certain glycosylation sites could restore these levels.
- The research highlights that mutations in the N-terminal domain of the spike protein play a crucial role in the virus's ability to evade the immune system and change its structural properties.
The immune system requires a complex network of specialized cell types to defend against a range of threats. The specific roles and destinies of these cell types are enforced by a constellation of gene regulatory programs, which are orchestrated through lineage-specifying transcription factors. T Cell Factor 1 (TCF1) is a central transcription factor in many of these programs, guiding the development and functionality of both adaptive and innate lymphoid cells.
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- In the summer of 2024, a global increase in COVID-19 cases was attributed to JN.1 subvariants of SARS-CoV-2, which have new mutations, particularly in the spike protein's N-terminal domain (NTD).
- The study found that several subvariants (LB.1, KP.2.3, KP.3, and KP.3.1.1) largely escape neutralizing antibodies from various vaccines and past infections due to a key deletion (DelS31) in the spike protein.
- The DelS31 mutation enhances the stability of the spike protein and introduces changes that help the virus avoid immune detection, suggesting a possible need to update COVID-19 vaccines to include antigens
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- This study examines how subvariants of JN.1 (SLip, FLiRT, and KP.2) respond to neutralization by antibodies from vaccinated people and infected patients, discovering they show increased resistance compared to the original JN.1.
- The research finds that while hamster sera from XBB.1.5 vaccinations can strongly neutralize FLiRT and KP.2, SLip has reduced neutralization effectiveness. All subvariants demonstrate resistance to the antibody S309 and show decreased infectivity and other functionalities compared to JN.1.
- Key mutations in the spike protein of these subvariants are identified, affecting their interaction with antibodies and suggesting that new vaccines might need to