IL-2 is required for the generation of viral-specific CD4 Th1 tissue-resident memory cells and B cells are essential for maintenance in the lung.

CD4 tissue resident cells are an important first line of defense against viral infections in the lungs and are critical for promoting the localization of lung resident CD8 T cells. However, relatively little is known about the signaling programs required for the development of viral-specific CD4 tissue resident cells in the lungs. Recently, it was shown that signaling through the high affinity IL-2 receptor is required for the differentiation of lung-resident Th2 memory (Trm) cells in a murine model of airway inflammation.

Blood Stage Malaria Disrupts Humoral Immunity to the Pre-erythrocytic Stage Circumsporozoite Protein.

Many current malaria vaccines target the pre-erythrocytic stage of infection in the liver. However, in malaria-endemic regions, increased blood stage exposure is associated with decreased vaccine efficacy, thereby challenging current vaccine efforts. We hypothesized that pre-erythrocytic humoral immunity is directly disrupted by blood stage infection.

Somatically Hypermutated Plasmodium-Specific IgM(+) Memory B Cells Are Rapid, Plastic, Early Responders upon Malaria Rechallenge.

Humoral immunity consists of pre-existing antibodies expressed by long-lived plasma cells and rapidly reactive memory B cells (MBC). Recent studies of MBC development and function after protein immunization have uncovered significant MBC heterogeneity. To clarify functional roles for distinct MBC subsets during malaria infection, we generated tetramers that identify Plasmodium-specific MBCs in both humans and mice.

Interleukin-2-Dependent Allergen-Specific Tissue-Resident Memory Cells Drive Asthma.

Exposure to inhaled allergens generates T helper 2 (Th2) CD4(+) T cells that contribute to episodes of inflammation associated with asthma. Little is known about allergen-specific Th2 memory cells and their contribution to airway inflammation. We generated reagents to understand how endogenous CD4(+) T cells specific for a house dust mite (HDM) allergen form and function.

Expression of the essential mRNA export factor Yra1p is autoregulated by a splicing-dependent mechanism.

Recent evidence supports the idea that pre-mRNA splicing and mRNA export are mechanistically coupled. In metazoans, this process appears to be mediated by a multicomponent complex, which associates with the spliced RNA upstream of the exon-exon junction. One of these components (Aly/REF) has a homolog in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae known as Yra1p.