The involvement of O-antigen polysaccharide in lipopolysaccharide in macrophage activation.

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is generally considered to be an endotoxin, is the major constituent of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. The structure of LPS consists of three regions; lipid A, core oligosaccharide and O-antigen polysaccharide (O-PS). The structures of lipid A and core oligosaccharide are highly conserved among bacterial genera, but that of O-PS varies and differs in common bacterial species.

Reconsideration of macrophage and dendritic cell classification.

It is well known that the activation of innate immune cells, especially antigen-presenting cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells, can ameliorate or exacerbate various diseases, including cancer. Currently, the macrophages and dendritic cells are categorized into several groups by their cell surface and intracellular molecules. However, the detailed classification of the differences between macrophages and dendritic cells has still not been established.

Genome sequence of Pantoea agglomerans strain IG1.

Pantoea agglomerans is a gram-negative bacterium that grows symbiotically with various plants. Here we report the 4.8-Mb genome sequence of P.