Quantitative Analysis of Proteome Modulations in Alveolar Epithelial Type II Cells in Response to Pulmonary Infection.

The ubiquitous mold threatens immunosuppressed patients as inducer of lethal invasive aspergillosis. conidia are airborne and reach the alveoli, where they encounter alveolar epithelial cells (AEC). Previous studies reported the importance of the surfactant-producing AEC II during infection experiments using cell lines.

Catchup: a mouse model for imaging-based tracking and modulation of neutrophil granulocytes.

Neutrophil granulocyte biology is a central issue of immunological research, but the lack of animal models that allow for neutrophil-selective genetic manipulation has delayed progress. By modulating the neutrophil-specific locus Ly6G with a knock-in allele expressing Cre recombinase and the fluorescent protein tdTomato, we generated a mouse model termed Catchup that exhibits strong neutrophil specificity. Transgene activity was found only in very few eosinophils and basophils and was undetectable in bone marrow precursors, including granulomonocytic progenitors (GMPs).

Fibrin binds to collagen and provides a bridge for αVβ3 integrin-dependent contraction of collagen gels.

The functional significance of fibrin deposits typically seen in inflammatory lesions, carcinomas and in healing wounds is not fully understood. In the present study, we demonstrate that fibrinogen/fibrin specifically bound to native Col I (collagen type I) and used the Col I fibre network as a base to provide a functional interface matrix that connects cells to the Col I fibres through αVβ3 integrins. This allowed murine myoblast C2C12 cells to contract the collagenous composite gel via αVβ3 integrin.