Publications by authors named "Lindsey A Shallberg"

X chromosome inactivation (XCI) balances X-linked gene dosage between sexes. Unstimulated T cells lack cytological enrichment of X-inactive specific transcript (Xist) RNA and heterochromatic modifications on the inactive X chromosome (Xi), which are involved in maintenance of XCI, and these modifications return to the Xi after stimulation. Here, we examined allele-specific gene expression and epigenomic profiles of the Xi in T cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cryptosporidium causes severe diarrhea in people with weakened T cell functions, making it hard to control the infection.
  • Scientists engineered Cryptosporidium to express a protein that triggers T cell responses, leading to the expansion of specific CD8 T cells that produce interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) to help control parasite growth.
  • The study shows that while the infection targets intestinal cells, the collaboration between these cells and type 1 conventional dendritic cells is essential for effective CD8 T cell responses against Cryptosporidium.
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X Chromosome Inactivation (XCI) is a female-specific process which balances X-linked gene dosage between sexes. Unstimulated T cells lack cytological enrichment of RNA and heterochromatic modifications on the inactive X chromosome (Xi), and these modifications become enriched at the Xi after cell stimulation. Here, we examined allele-specific gene expression and the epigenomic profiles of the Xi following T cell stimulation.

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causes debilitating diarrheal disease in patients with primary and acquired defects in T cell function. However, it has been a challenge to understand how this infection generates T cell responses and how they mediate parasite control. Here, was engineered to express a parasite effector protein (MEDLE-2) that contains the MHC-I restricted SIINFEKL epitope which is recognized by TCR transgenic OT-I CD8 T cells.

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Successful infection strategies must balance pathogen amplification and persistence. In the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii this is accomplished through differentiation into dedicated cyst-forming chronic stages that avoid clearance by the host immune system. The transcription factor BFD1 is both necessary and sufficient for stage conversion; however, its regulation is not understood.

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Interleukin-18 (IL-18) promotes natural killer (NK) and T cell production of interferon (IFN)-γ, a key factor in resistance to Toxoplasma gondii, but previous work has shown a limited role for endogenous IL-18 in control of this parasite. Although infection with T. gondii results in release of IL-18, the production of IFN-γ induces high levels of the IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP).

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Despite recent advances in our understanding of pathogenic access to the central nervous system (CNS), the mechanisms by which intracellular pathogens disseminate within the dense cellular network of neural tissue remain poorly understood. To address this issue, longitudinal analysis of Toxoplasma gondii dissemination in the brain was conducted using 2-photon imaging through a cranial window in living mice that transgenically express enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP)-claudin-5. Extracellular T.

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The ability of T cells to operate in the central nervous system (CNS) is required for resistance to multiple pathogens that affect this tissue. The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii has evolved to persist in the CNS and poses unique challenges to the immune system with the need to control parasite replication while balancing the adverse pathology associated with local inflammation. This article reviews the models used to study the response to T.

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In the peritoneal cavity, the omentum contains fat-associated lymphoid clusters (FALCs) whose role in response to infection is poorly understood. After intraperitoneal immunization with , conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) were critical to induce innate sources of IFN-γ and cellular changes in the FALCs. Unexpectedly, infected peritoneal macrophages that migrated into the FALCs primed CD8 T cells.

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Initial TCR engagement (priming) of naive CD8+ T cells results in T cell expansion, and these early events influence the generation of diverse effector and memory populations. During infection, activated T cells can re-encounter cognate antigen, but how these events influence local effector responses or formation of memory populations is unclear. To address this issue, OT-I T cells which express the Nur77-GFP reporter of TCR activation were paired with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii that expresses OVA to assess how secondary encounter with antigen influences CD8+ T cell responses.

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Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that results in chronic infection of the central nervous system, but the basis for its ability to persist is unknown. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Rosenberg and Sibley (2021) identify a parasite effector produced by the latent bradyzoite stage that inhibits host cell necroptosis.

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