IL-4/IL-13-producing ILC2s are required for timely control of intestinal helminth infection in mice.

Infection of mice with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb) serves as a model for human hookworm infection affecting about 600 million people world-wide. Expulsion of Nb from the intestine requires IL-13-mediated mucus secretion from goblet cells and activation of smooth muscles cells. Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are a major cellular source of IL-13 but it remains unclear whether IL-13 secretion from ILC2s is required for Nb expulsion.

Rapid rebound of the Treg compartment in DEREG mice limits the impact of Treg depletion on mycobacterial burden, but prevents autoimmunity.

The development of an effective vaccine against tuberculosis (Tb) represents one of the major medical challenges of this century. Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), the only vaccine available at present, is mostly effective at preventing disseminated Tb in children, but shows variable protection against pulmonary Tb, the most common form in adults. The reasons for this poor efficacy are not completely understood, but there is evidence that T regulatory cells (Tregs) might be involved.

An efficient strategy for small-scale screening and production of archaeal membrane transport proteins in Escherichia coli.

Background: Membrane proteins play a key role in many fundamental cellular processes such as transport of nutrients, sensing of environmental signals and energy transduction, and account for over 50% of all known drug targets. Despite their importance, structural and functional characterisation of membrane proteins still remains a challenge, partially due to the difficulties in recombinant expression and purification. Therefore the need for development of efficient methods for heterologous production is essential.

Molecular diversity assessed by VNTR and IS1296 typing of historical Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC strains.

The last case of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC (MmmSC), in Europe was reported in Portugal in 1999. However, in view of its insidious nature, it is still possible that CBPP could re-emerge.