Most of the archaea and numerous bacteria possess an elaborate system of adaptive immunity to mobile genetic elements known as the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-associated system (CRISPR-Cas), which consists of arrays of short repeats interspersed with unique DNA spacers and adjacent operons encompassing CRISPR-associated (cas) genes with predicted and, in some cases, experimentally validated nuclease, helicase, and polymerase activities. The system functions by integrating fragments of alien DNA between the repeats and employing their transcripts to degrade the DNA of the respective invading elements via an RNA interference-like mechanism. The CRISPR-Cas system is a case of apparent Lamarckian inheritance.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3410/B1-95 | DOI Listing |
Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai)
January 2025
International Cancer Center, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen 518060, China.
Relieving hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes innate and adaptive immunity. Our previous research demonstrated that reoxygenation of the TME promotes the phagocytosis and tumor-killing functions of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) by upregulating pyruvate carboxylase (PCB). However, the mechanism remains obscure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFViruses
January 2025
Department of Veterinary Prevention and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-033 Lublin, Poland.
Bacteriophages, as ubiquitous bacterial viruses in various natural ecosystems, play an important role in maintaining the homeostasis of the natural microbiota. For many years, bacteriophages were not believed to act on eukaryotic cells; however, recent studies have confirmed their ability to affect eukaryotic cells and interact with the host immune system. Due to their complex protein structure, phages can also directly or indirectly modulate immune processes, including innate immunity, by modulating phagocytosis and cytokine reactions, as well as acquired immunity, by producing antibodies and activating effector cells.
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January 2025
Department of Microbiology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.
The emergence of new variants and diverse vaccination regimens have raised uncertainty about vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2. This study aims to investigate the impact of Omicron primo-/reinfection and primary vaccination schedules on the immunogenicity of an mRNA-based booster dose over a six-month period. We conducted a prospective cohort study to assess the durability and level of antibodies of 678 healthcare workers fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
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January 2025
Department of Ophthalmology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China.
COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has presented formidable challenges to global health since its emergence in late 2019. While primarily known for respiratory symptoms, it can also affect the ocular surface. This review summarizes the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on ocular surface immunity and inflammation, focusing on infection mechanisms, immune responses, and clinical manifestations.
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December 2024
School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan.
: During the acute phase of COVID-19, a number of immunological abnormalities have been reported, but few studies longitudinally analyzed the specific subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes. : In this observational, prospective, and longitudinal study, adult patients developing acute pneumonia during the COVID-19 pandemic have been followed up for 12 months. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were assessed (with a specific focus on the memory markers) at 6 time points after the disease onset until 12 months.
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