Breaking down IgA: Tomasiella immunophila enlightens microbiome-immune interactions.

The recent discovery by Lu and colleagues of Tomasiella immunophila, a bacterium that degrades IgA, offers insights into microbial influences on mucosal immunity and evolutionary immune trade-offs. By modulating IgA titers, T. immunophila influences the dynamic interactions and balance between the host and pathogen.

Intracellular cAMP signaling-induced Ca influx mediated by calcium homeostasis modulator 1 (CALHM1) in human odontoblasts.

In odontoblasts, intracellular Ca signaling plays key roles in reactionary dentin formation and generation of dentinal pain. Odontoblasts also express several G protein-coupled receptors that promote production of cyclic AMP (cAMP). However, the crosstalk between intracellular cAMP and Ca signaling, as well as the role of cAMP in the cellular functions of odontoblasts, remains unclear.

Immunoglobulin class-switch recombination: Mechanism, regulation, and related diseases.

Maturation of the secondary antibody repertoire requires class-switch recombination (CSR), which switches IgM to other immunoglobulins (Igs), and somatic hypermutation, which promotes the production of high-affinity antibodies. Following immune response or infection within the body, activation of T cell-dependent and T cell-independent antigens triggers the activation of activation-induced cytidine deaminase, initiating the CSR process. CSR has the capacity to modify the functional properties of antibodies, thereby contributing to the adaptive immune response in the organism.

Development of uniform ribosome display technology enabling easy and efficient identification of full-length proteins that interact with bioactive small and large molecules.

Identifying target proteins that interact with bioactive molecules is indispensable for understanding their mechanisms of action. In this study, we developed a uniform ribosome display technology using equal-length DNAs and mRNAs to improve molecular display principle for target identification. The equal-length DNAs were designed to contain various coding sequences for full-length proteins with molecular weights of up to 130 kDa and were used to synthesize equal-length mRNAs, which allowed the formation of full-length protein-ribosome-equal-length mRNA complexes.

Interparticle normal force in highly porous granular matter during compression.

We perform a numerical simulation of compression of a highly porous dust aggregate of monodisperse spheres. We find that the average interparticle normal force within the aggregate is inversely proportional to both the filling factor and the average coordination number and we also derive this relation theoretically. Our findings would be applicable for granular matter of arbitrary structures, as long as the constituent particles are monodisperse spheres.

Adaptive estimation of the Gutenberg-Richter b value using a state space model and particle filtering.

Earthquakes follow an exponential distribution referred to as the Gutenberg-Richter law, which is characterized by the b value that represents a ratio of the number of large earthquakes to that of small earthquakes. Spatial and temporal variation in the b value is important for assessing the probability of a larger earthquake. Conventionally, the b value is obtained by a maximum-likelihood estimation based on past earthquakes with a certain sample size.

Intratumoral delivery of a highly active form of XCL1 enhances antitumor CTL responses through recruitment of CXCL9-expressing conventional type-1 dendritic cells.

Conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) play a crucial role in antitumor immunity through the induction and activation of tumor-specific CD8 cytotoxic T cells (CTLs). The chemokine XCL1 is a major chemotactic factor for cDC1s and its receptor XCR1 is selectively expressed on cDC1s. Here, we investigated the effect of intratumoral delivery of a highly active form of murine XCL1 (mXCL1-V21C/A59C) on cDC1-mediated antitumor immunity using a hydrophilic gel patch.

Novel Roles for the Transcriptional Repressor E4BP4 in Both Cardiac Physiology and Pathophysiology.

Circadian clocks temporally orchestrate biological processes critical for cellular/organ function. For example, the cardiomyocyte circadian clock modulates cardiac metabolism, signaling, and electrophysiology over the course of the day, such that, disruption of the clock leads to age-onset cardiomyopathy (through unknown mechanisms). Here, we report that genetic disruption of the cardiomyocyte clock results in chronic induction of the transcriptional repressor E4BP4.

The transcription factor NFIL3/E4BP4 regulates the developmental stage-specific acquisition of basophil function.

Background: Basophils are rare but important effector cells in many allergic disorders. Contrary to their early progenitors, the terminal developmental processes of basophils in which they gain their unique functional properties are unknown.

Objective: We sought to identify a novel late-stage basophil precursor and a transcription factor regulating the terminal maturation of basophils.

Spermidine - an old molecule with a new age-defying immune function.

Polyamines - putrescine, spermidine, and spermine - are widely distributed aliphatic compounds known to regulate important biological processes in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Therefore, spermidine insufficiency is associated with various physio-pathological processes, such as aging and cancers. Recent advances in immuno-metabolism and immunotherapy shed new light on the role of spermidine in immune cell regulation and anticancer responses.

Activated volcanism of Mount Fuji by the 2011 Japanese large earthquakes.

The relation between earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, each of which is manifested by large-scale tectonic plate and mantle motions, has been widely discussed. Mount Fuji, in Japan, last erupted in 1707, paired with a magnitude (M)-9-class earthquake 49 days prior. Motivated by this pairing, previous studies investigated its effect on Mount Fuji after both the 2011 M9 Tohoku megaquake and a triggered M5.

The role of Raptor in lymphocytes differentiation and function.

Raptor, a key component of mTORC1, is required for recruiting substrates to mTORC1 and contributing to its subcellular localization. Raptor has a highly conserved N-terminus domain and seven WD40 repeats, which interact with mTOR and other mTORC1-related proteins. mTORC1 participates in various cellular events and mediates differentiation and metabolism.

Subcutaneous immunisation with zymosan generates mucosal IgA-eliciting memory and protects mice from heterologous influenza virus infection.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the most abundant isotype of antibodies and provides a first line of defense at the mucosa against pathogens invading the host. It has been widely accepted that the mucosal IgA response provided by vaccination requires mucosal inoculation, and intranasal inoculation has been proposed for vaccines against influenza virus. Considering the difficulty of intranasal vaccination in infants or elderly people, however, parenteral vaccination that provides the mucosal IgA response is desirable.

BMP-1-induced GBA1 nuclear accumulation provokes CCN2 mRNA expression via importin-β-mediated nucleocytoplasmic pathway.

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-1 is expressed by odontoblasts in the dentin-pulp complex. Although the functional effects of BMP-1 on the maturation of various preforms of proteins and enzymes involved in initiating mineralization have been widely observed, how BMP-1 affects cellular molecules remains unknown. We performed a comprehensive analysis of BMP-1-altered glycome profiles and subsequent assays to identify the target glycoproteins in human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) by a glycomic approach.

Aerosol Iron from Metal Production as a Secondary Source of Bioaccessible Iron.

Atmospheric iron (Fe) from anthropogenic, lithogenic, and pyrogenic sources contributes to ocean fertilization, climate change, and human health risk. However, significant uncertainties remain in the source apportionment due to a lack of source-specific evaluation of Fe-laden aerosols. Here, the large uncertainties in the model estimates are investigated using different Fe emissions from metal production.

Crystal structure analysis of pyrrolidone carboxyl peptidase from Thermus thermophilus.

Pyrrolidone carboxyl peptidase (PCP) hydrolytically removes the L-pyroglutamic acid from the amino terminal region of pyroglutamyl proteins or peptides. So far, only a limited number of structures of PCP have been solved. Here we report the crystal structure of pyrrolidone carboxyl peptidase from Thermus thermophilus (TtPCP) which has been solved using the molecular replacement method and refined at 1.

Alveolar macrophages instruct CD8 T cell expansion by antigen cross-presentation in lung.

Lung CD8 memory T cells play central roles in protective immunity to respiratory viruses, such as influenza A virus (IAV). Here, we find that alveolar macrophages (AMs) function as antigen-presenting cells that support the expansion of lung CD8 memory T cells. Intranasal antigen administration to mice subcutaneously immunized with antigen results in a rapid expansion of antigen-specific CD8 T cells in the lung, which is dependent on antigen cross-presentation by AMs.

Interleukin-1β triggers matrix metalloprotease-3 expression through p65/RelA activation in melanoma cells.

Melanoma shows highly aggressive behavior (i.e., local invasion and metastasis).

Role of FK506-sensitive signals in asthmatic lung inflammation.

Asthma is airway inflammatory diseases caused by the activation of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and type 2 helper T (T2) cells. Cysteine proteases allergen cause tissue damage to airway epithelial cells and activate ILC2-mediated type 2 airway inflammation. FK506 is an immunosuppressive agent against calcium-dependent NFAT activation that is also effective against asthmatic inflammation.

Secreted immune metabolites that mediate immune cell communication and function.

Metabolites are emerging as essential factors for the immune system that are involved in both metabolic circuits and signaling cascades. Accumulated evidence suggests that altered metabolic programs initiated by the activation and maturation of immune cell types are accompanied by the delivery of various metabolites into the local environment. We propose that, in addition to protein/peptide ligands, secreted immune metabolites (SIMets) are essential components of immune communication networks that fine-tune immune responses under homeostatic and pathological conditions.