Pertussis toxin (PT) has previously been shown to affect a wide variety of immune responses and to cause lymphocyte proliferation. We have investigated the biochemical basis for the mitogenic activity of PT by using human peripheral blood lymphocytes. PT was found to induce a rapid rise in cytosolic free calcium concentration and an alkalinization of the cytosol through the Na+/H+ antiporter. The toxin was also found to induce expression of IL-2-receptor on CD3+ cells and to stimulate IL-2 production. PT induced proliferation of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the presence (but not in the absence) of accessory cells. PT also stimulated IL-1 production by monocytes but neither IL-1, IL-6 alone nor a combination of the two lymphokines could replace accessory cells suggesting that cell:cell contact is required. Low doses of PT induced ADP-ribosylation of G proteins but this treatment did not affect significantly PHA-induced [Ca2+]i increase and IL-2-induced DNA synthesis suggesting that the substrates of the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of PT are not involved in the signalling pathways leading to DNA replication.
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Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.
Lignin degradation by biocatalysts is a key strategy to develop a plant-based sustainable carbon economy and thus alleviate global climate change. This process involves synergy between ligninases and auxiliary enzymes. However, auxiliary enzymes within secretomes, which are composed of thousands of enzymes, remain enigmatic, although several ligninolytic enzymes have been well characterized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
Institute for Experimental Medicine, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
Bacterial type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are puncturing molecular machines that transport effector proteins to kill microbes, manipulate eukaryotic cells, or facilitate nutrient uptake. How and why T6SS machines and effectors differ within a species is not fully understood. Here, we applied molecular population genetics to the T6SSs in a global population of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Signal
January 2025
Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education), Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China.
Activation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway by cytosolic DNA leads to the activation of the transcription factors interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). Although many viruses produce proteins that inhibit IRF3-dependent antiviral responses, some viruses produce proteins that inhibit STING-induced NF-κB activation without blocking IRF3 activation. Here, we found that STING-activated, NF-κB-dependent, and IRF3-independent innate immunity inhibited the replication of the DNA virus herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), the RNA virus coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16), and the retrovirus HIV-1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Department of Anatomical Sciences, William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Hattiesburg, USA.
The digastric muscle is a suprahyoid muscle that is composed of an anterior belly and a posterior belly, which originate from the first and second pharyngeal arches, respectively, and they are innervated by the nerves of these arches. The digastric muscles are involved in the elevation of the hyoid bone and depression of the mandible during mastication, speech, and swallowing. In this report, we present the rare case of bilateral accessory anterior belly of the digastric muscles (ABDMs) that originated from the digastric fossa, medial to the anterior bellies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCommun Biol
January 2025
Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
Rod and cone photoreceptor cells are specialized neurons responsible for transforming the information reaching the eyes in the form of photons into the language of neuronal activity. Rods are the most prevalent photoreceptor type, primarily responsible for light detection under conditions of limited illumination. Here we demonstrate that human rods have a morphological organization unique among all described species, whereby the cell soma extends alongside the light-sensitive outer segment compartment to form a structure we have termed the "accessory inner segment.
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