Essential role for collectrin in renal amino acid transport.

Angiotensin -converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a regulator of the renin angiotensin system involved in acute lung failure, cardiovascular functions and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infections in mammals. A gene encoding a homologue to ACE2, termed collectrin (Tmem27), has been identified in immediate proximity to the ace2 locus. The in vivo function of collectrin was unclear.

NF-kappaB couples protein kinase B/Akt signaling to distinct survival pathways and the regulation of lymphocyte homeostasis in vivo.

Protein kinase B (PKBalpha/Akt1) a PI3K-dependent serine-threonine kinase, promotes T cell viability in response to many stimuli and regulates homeostasis and autoimmune disease in vivo. To dissect the mechanisms by which PKB inhibits apoptosis, we have examined the pathways downstream of PKB that promote survival after cytokine withdrawal vs Fas-mediated death. Our studies show that PKB-mediated survival after cytokine withdrawal is independent of protein synthesis and the induction of NF-kappaB.

Essential role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b in T cell anergy induction.

Antigen-specific immunotolerance limits the expansion of self-reactive T cells involved in autoimmune diseases. Here, we show that the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b is upregulated in T cells after tolerizing signals. Loss of Cbl-b in mice results in impaired induction of T cell tolerance both in vitro and in vivo.

The B7 family member B7-H3 preferentially down-regulates T helper type 1-mediated immune responses.

We investigated the in vivo function of the B7 family member B7-H3 (also known as B7RP-2) by gene targeting. B7-H3 inhibited T cell proliferation mediated by antibody to T cell receptor or allogeneic antigen-presenting cells. B7-H3-deficient mice developed more severe airway inflammation than did wild-type mice in conditions in which T helper cells differentiated toward type 1 (T(H)1) rather than type 2 (T(H)2).

RNA interference blocks gene expression and RNA synthesis from hepatitis C replicons propagated in human liver cells.

RNA interference represents an exciting new technology that could have therapeutic applications for the treatment of viral infections. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease and affects >270 million individuals worldwide. The HCV genome is a single-stranded RNA that functions as both a messenger RNA and replication template, making it an attractive target for the study of RNA interference.

Chk2 regulates irradiation-induced, p53-mediated apoptosis in Drosophila.

The tumor suppressor function of p53 has been attributed to its ability to regulate apoptosis and the cell cycle. In mammals, DNA damage, aberrant growth signals, chemotherapeutic agents, and UV irradiation activate p53, a process that is regulated by several posttranslational modifications. In Drosophila melanogaster, however, the regulation modes of p53 are still unknown.