A microbial eukaryote with a unique combination of purple bacteria and green algae as endosymbionts.

Oxygenic photosynthesizers (cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae) have repeatedly become endosymbionts throughout evolution. In contrast, anoxygenic photosynthesizers (e.g.

Co-delivery of PLGA encapsulated invariant NKT cell agonist with antigenic protein induce strong T cell-mediated antitumor immune responses.

Antitumor immunity can be enhanced by the coordinated release and delivery of antigens and immune-stimulating agents to antigen-presenting cells via biodegradable vaccine carriers. So far, encapsulation of TLR ligands and tumor-associated antigens augmented cytotoxic T cell (CTLs) responses. Here, we compared the efficacy of the invariant NKT (iNKT) cell agonist α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) and TLR ligands (R848 and poly I:C) as an adjuvant for the full length ovalbumin (OVA) in PLGA nanoparticles.

Type I IFN-mediated synergistic activation of mouse and human DC subsets by TLR agonists.

Novel approaches of dendritic cell (DC) based cancer immunotherapy aim at harnessing the unique attributes of different DC subsets. Classical monocyte-derived DC vaccines are currently being replaced by either applying primary DCs or specifically targeting antigens and adjuvants to these subsets in vivo. Appropriate DC activation in both strategies is essential for optimal effect.

PyroMark® Instruments, Chemistry, and Software for Pyrosequencing® Analysis.

Since the early 2000s, Pyrosequencing(®) technology has been adapted for various instrument platforms to enable users to examine the role of epigenetic DNA methylation in gene expression regulation, genetic markers for specific phenotypes in livestock, drug resistance development in pathogens, and polymorphisms in forensic samples of mitochondrial DNA.The instruments, software, and chemistry have been modified to facilitate different sample throughputs and sample amounts. Just recently, major changes have been implemented to enable increased read length and more precise Pyrosequencing results.

Targeted delivery of a sialic acid-blocking glycomimetic to cancer cells inhibits metastatic spread.

Sialic acid sugars are overexpressed by cancer cells and contribute to the metastatic cascade at multiple levels. Therapeutic interference of sialic acids, however, has been difficult to pursue because of the absence of dedicated tools. Here we show that a rationally designed sialic acid-blocking glycomimetic (P-3F(ax)-Neu5Ac) successfully prevents cancer metastasis.

Pyrosequencing: powerful and quantitative sequencing technology.

Pyrosequencing is a sequencing-by-synthesis method for DNA analysis that has emerged as a platform not only for de novo sequencing applications, but also for quantitative analysis of genomic methylation, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, and allele quantification. In this unit, we describe a complete workflow from sample to result that is suitable for each of these applications. As cytosine conversion is a key element of successful methylation analysis using pyrosequencing, a support protocol for bisulfite treatment is also included.

Dendritic cell-based nanovaccines for cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy critically relies on the efficient presentation of tumor antigens to T-cells to elicit a potent anti-tumor immune response aimed at life-long protection against cancer recurrence. Recent advances in the nanovaccine field have now resulted in formulations that trigger strong anti-tumor responses. Nanovaccines are assemblies that are able to present tumor antigens and appropriate immune-stimulatory signals either directly to T-cells or indirectly via antigen-presenting dendritic cells.

Targeting dendritic cells--why bother?

Vaccination is among the most efficient forms of immunotherapy. Although sometimes inducing lifelong protective B-cell responses, T-cell-mediated immunity remains challenging. Targeting antigen to dendritic cells (DCs) is an extensively explored concept aimed at improving cellular immunity.

Integrated expression profiling of multiple RNA species by real-time PCR.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, non-coding RNAs comprising approximately 21-23 nucleotides that regulate gene expression by binding to and targeting messenger RNA (mRNA) for translational repression or degradation. miRNAs have been shown to regulate cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, and development and to play an important role in immune system function. The expression of miRNAs is misregulated in numerous diseases, including cancers of immunological origin.

Morphological and molecular characterization of Paramecium (Viridoparamecium nov. subgen.) chlorelligerum Kahl (Ciliophora).

We redescribe Paramecium chlorelligerum, a forgotten species, which Kahl (Tierwelt Dtl., 1935, 30:651) briefly but precisely described in the addendum to his ciliate monographs as a Paramecium with symbiotic green algae. The redescription is based on classical morphological methods and the analysis of the small subunit (SSU) rDNA.

Antibody-antigen-adjuvant conjugates enable co-delivery of antigen and adjuvant to dendritic cells in cis but only have partial targeting specificity.

Antibody-antigen conjugates, which promote antigen-presentation by dendritic cells (DC) by means of targeted delivery of antigen to particular DC subsets, represent a powerful vaccination approach. To ensure immunity rather than tolerance induction the co-administration of a suitable adjuvant is paramount. However, co-administration of unlinked adjuvant cannot ensure that all cells targeted by the antibody conjugates are appropriately activated.

The C-type lectin receptor CLEC9A mediates antigen uptake and (cross-)presentation by human blood BDCA3+ myeloid dendritic cells.

CLEC9A is a recently discovered C-type lectin receptor involved in sensing necrotic cells. In humans, this receptor is selectively expressed by BDCA3(+) myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), which have been proposed to be the main human cross-presenting mDCs and may represent the human homologue of murine CD8(+) DCs. In mice, it was demonstrated that antigens delivered with antibodies to CLEC9A are presented by CD8(+) DCs to both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells and induce antitumor immunity in a melanoma model.

Freeze-and-thaw-disrupted tumour cells impair the responsiveness of DC to TLR stimulation.

Cancer immunotherapy aims at inducing immune responses against tumour-associated antigens that mediate the eradication of tumour cells. For successful vaccination against antigens expressed by the tumour, the immune system has to be provided with sufficient amounts of these antigens in connection with strong immunostimulatory signals such as toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands. Tumour cells represent a convenient source of relevant tumour-associated antigens but can have suppressive properties.

Caldendrin-Jacob: a protein liaison that couples NMDA receptor signalling to the nucleus.

NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors and calcium can exert multiple and very divergent effects within neuronal cells, thereby impacting opposing occurrences such as synaptic plasticity and neuronal degeneration. The neuronal Ca2+ sensor Caldendrin is a postsynaptic density component with high similarity to calmodulin. Jacob, a recently identified Caldendrin binding partner, is a novel protein abundantly expressed in limbic brain and cerebral cortex.

The apertospathulidae, a new family of haptorid ciliates (protozoa, ciliophora).

We studied the morphology of three rare haptorid ciliates, using live observation and silver impregnation: Apertospathula verruculifera n. sp., Longispatha elegans n.

Caldendrin but not calmodulin binds to light chain 3 of MAP1A/B: an association with the microtubule cytoskeleton highlighting exclusive binding partners for neuronal Ca(2+)-sensor proteins.

Caldendrin is a neuronal Ca(2+)-sensor protein (NCS), which represents the closest homologue of calmodulin (CaM) in nerve cells. It is tightly associated with the somato-dendritic cytoskeleton of neurons and highly enriched in the postsynaptic cytomatrix. Here, we report that caldendrin specifically associates with the microtubule cytoskeleton via an interaction with light chain 3 (LC3), a microtubule component with sequence homology to the GABAA receptor-associated protein (GABARAP), which is, like LC3, probably involved in cellular transport processes.

Rearrangement of the retino-collicular projection after partial optic nerve crush in the adult rat.

The establishment of retino-collicular topography is a well-investigated model of axon pathfinding and it was believed that this topography is irreversibly fixed throughout life. We now report that, after partial crush of the adult rat optic nerve, the anterograde transport of intravitreally-injected tracers via axons of surviving retinal ganglion cells (RGC) in all retinal quadrants is confined to the rostro-medial part of the superior colliculus (SC). This indicates that the retino-collicular topography is rearranged after partial crush of the adult rat optic nerve.