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It has long been thought that clonal deletion efficiently removes almost all self-specific T cells from the peripheral repertoire. We found that self-peptide MHC-specific CD8+ T cells in the blood of healthy humans were present in frequencies similar to those specific for non-self antigens. For the Y chromosome-encoded SMCY antigen, self-specific T cells exhibited only a 3-fold lower average frequency...
IRF4-dependent DCs have been associated with induction of both Th1 and Th17 cells. In this issue of Immunity, Tussiwand et al. (2015) demonstrate that a dependence on KLF4 identifies a subset of IRF4-dependent DC that preferentially promotes Th2 cell differentiation.
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a pleiotropic cytokine that regulates immune cell homeostasis and has been used to treat a range of disorders including cancer and autoimmune disease. IL-2 signals via interleukin-2 receptor-β (IL-2Rβ):IL-2Rγ heterodimers on cells expressing high (regulatory T cells, Treg) or low (effector cells) amounts of IL-2Rα (CD25). When complexed with IL-2, certain anti-cytokine antibodies...
Vaginal microbiota differs within individuals and between human populations. Anahtar et al. (2015) identify a specific vaginal cervicotype commonly found in healthy South African women that causes localized inflammation including activation of antigen-presenting cells and vaginal recruitment of HIV target cells.
The two major lineages of classical dendritic cells (cDCs) express and require either IRF8 or IRF4 transcription factors for their development and function. IRF8-dependent cDCs promote anti-viral and T-helper 1 (Th1) cell responses, whereas IRF4-expressing cDCs have been implicated in controlling both Th2 and Th17 cell responses. Here, we have provided evidence that Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) is...
Defining specific cellular and molecular mechanisms in most obesity-related diseases remains an important challenge. Here we report a serendipitous finding that consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) greatly increased the occurrence of skin lesions in C57BL/6 mice. We demonstrated that HFD induced the accumulation of a specific type of CD11c+ macrophages in skin preceding detectable lesions. These cells...
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-27 signal through a shared receptor subunit and employ the same downstream STAT transcription proteins, but yet are ascribed unique and overlapping functions. To evaluate the specificity and redundancy for these cytokines, we quantified their global transcriptomic changes and determined the relative contributions of STAT1 and STAT3 using genetic models and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing...
DNGR-1 is a C-type lectin receptor that binds F-actin exposed by dying cells and facilitates cross-presentation of dead cell-associated antigens by dendritic cells. Here we present the structure of DNGR-1 bound to F-actin at 7.7 Å resolution. Unusually for F-actin binding proteins, the DNGR-1 ligand binding domain contacts three actin subunits helically arranged in the actin filament, bridging over...
In this issue of Immunity, Spangler et al. and Mitra et al. demonstrate how structural changes in the IL-2 molecule alter interactions with the IL-2 receptor, leading to differential cellular targeting and biochemical responses and selective immune consequences.
Regulatory T (Treg) cells play a pivotal role in suppressing self-harmful T cell responses, but how Treg cells mediate suppression to maintain immune homeostasis and limit responses during inflammation is unclear. Here we show that effector Treg cells express high amounts of the integrin αvβ8, which enables them to activate latent transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Treg-cell-specific deletion of...
It has been shown that self-reactive T cells can be detected in the periphery. In this issue of Immunity, Yu et al. (2015) show that clonal deletion prunes the T cell repertoire but does not eliminate self-reactive T cell clones.
The mammalian virome includes diverse commensal and pathogenic viruses that evoke a broad range of immune responses from the host. Sustained viral immunomodulation is implicated in a variety of inflammatory diseases, but also confers unexpected benefits to the host. These outcomes of viral infections are often dependent on host genotype. Moreover, it is becoming clear that the virome is part of a...
The molecular mechanisms regulating antigen translocation into the cytosol for cross-presentation are under controversial debate, mainly because direct data is lacking. Here, we have provided direct evidence that the activity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) translocon protein Sec61 is essential for endosome-to-cytosol translocation. We generated a Sec61-specific intrabody, a crucial tool that trapped...
The mechanistic links between genetic variation and autoantibody production in autoimmune disease remain obscure. Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is caused by inactivating mutations in FAS or FASL, with autoantibodies thought to arise through failure of FAS-mediated removal of self-reactive germinal center (GC) B cells. Here we show that FAS is in fact not required for this process...
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) use polarized secretion to rapidly destroy virally infected and tumor cells. To understand the temporal relationships between key events leading to secretion, we used high-resolution 4D imaging. CTLs approached targets with actin-rich projections at the leading edge, creating an initially actin-enriched contact with rearward-flowing actin. Within 1 min, cortical actin...
Dynamic gene expression during cellular differentiation is tightly coordinated by transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. An emerging theme is the central role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the regulation of this specificity. Recent advances demonstrate that lncRNAs are expressed in a lineage-specific manner and control the development of several cell types in the hematopoietic...
Colonization by Lactobacillus in the female genital tract is thought to be critical for maintaining genital health. However, little is known about how genital microbiota influence host immune function and modulate disease susceptibility. We studied a cohort of asymptomatic young South African women and found that the majority of participants had genital communities with low Lactobacillus abundance...
Using new rapid, super-resolution imaging methods, Ritter et al. (2015) define the early events of immunological synapse formation and granule release.
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) regulates lymphocyte function by signaling through heterodimerization of the IL-2Rβ and γc receptor subunits. IL-2 is of considerable therapeutic interest, but harnessing its actions in a controllable manner remains a challenge. Previously, we have engineered an IL-2 “superkine” with enhanced affinity for IL-2Rβ. Here, we describe next-generation IL-2 variants that function as...
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