Interleukin-7 restores lymphocytes in septic shock: the IRIS-7 randomized clinical trial.

Background: A defining pathophysiologic feature of sepsis is profound apoptosis-induced death and depletion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is an antiapoptotic common γ-chain cytokine that is essential for lymphocyte proliferation and survival. Clinical trials of IL-7 in over 390 oncologic and lymphopenic patients showed that IL-7 was safe, invariably increased CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte counts, and improved immunity.

Modulates Chloride (Cl) Efflux from Roots of .

The accumulation of high concentrations of chloride (Cl) in leaves can adversely affect plant growth. When comparing different varieties of the same Cl sensitive plant species those that exclude relatively more Cl from their shoots tend to perform better under saline conditions; however, the molecular mechanisms involved in maintaining low shoot Cl remain largely undefined. Recently, it was shown that the NRT1/PTR Family 2.

Identification of a Stelar-Localized Transport Protein That Facilitates Root-to-Shoot Transfer of Chloride in Arabidopsis.

Under saline conditions, higher plants restrict the accumulation of chloride ions (Cl(-)) in the shoot by regulating their transfer from the root symplast into the xylem-associated apoplast. To identify molecular mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon, we undertook a transcriptional screen of salt stressed Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) roots. Microarrays, quantitative RT-PCR, and promoter-GUS fusions identified a candidate gene involved in Cl(-) xylem loading from the Nitrate transporter 1/Peptide Transporter family (NPF2.

Powerful regulatory systems and post-transcriptional gene silencing resist increases in cellulose content in cell walls of barley.

Background: The ability to increase cellulose content and improve the stem strength of cereals could have beneficial applications in stem lodging and producing crops with higher cellulose content for biofuel feedstocks. Here, such potential is explored in the commercially important crop barley through the manipulation of cellulose synthase genes (CesA).

Results: Barley plants transformed with primary cell wall (PCW) and secondary cell wall (SCW) barley cellulose synthase (HvCesA) cDNAs driven by the CaMV 35S promoter, were analysed for growth and morphology, transcript levels, cellulose content, stem strength, tissue morphology and crystalline cellulose distribution.