In this issue of Cell Reports, Redford et al.1 uncouple the role of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in controlling anorexia and wasting of muscle and adipose tissue during chronic parasitic infections. These ...results shed light on the impact of adaptive immune cells on organ catabolism.
In this issue of Cell Reports, Redford et al.1 uncouple the role of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in controlling anorexia, and wasting of muscle and adipose tissue during chronic parasitic infections. These results shed light on the impact of adaptive immune cells on organ catabolism.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We report on the effects of electron collision and indirect ionization processes, occurring at photoexcitation and electron kinetic energies well below 30 eV, on the photoemission spectra of liquid ...water. We show that the nascent photoelectron spectrum and, hence, the inferred electron binding energy can only be accurately determined if electron energies are large enough that cross sections for quasi-elastic scattering processes, such as vibrational excitation, are negligible. Otherwise, quasi-elastic scattering leads to strong, down-to-few-meV kinetic energy scattering losses from the direct photoelectron features, which manifest in severely distorted intrinsic photoelectron peak shapes. The associated cross-over point from predominant (known) electronically inelastic to quasi-elastic scattering seems to arise at surprisingly large electron kinetic energies, of approximately 10-14 eV. Concomitantly, we present evidence for the onset of indirect, autoionization phenomena (occurring
via
superexcited states) within a few eV of the primary and secondary ionization thresholds. These processes are inferred to compete with the direct ionization channels and primarily produce low-energy photoelectrons at photon and electron impact excitation energies below ∼15 eV. Our results highlight that vibrational inelastic electron scattering processes and neutral photoexcitation and autoionization channels become increasingly important when photon and electron kinetic energies are decreased towards the ionization threshold. Correspondingly, we show that for neat water and aqueous solutions, great care must be taken when quantitatively analyzing photoelectron spectra measured too close to the ionization threshold. Such care is essential for the accurate determination of solvent and solute ionization energies as well as photoelectron branching ratios and peak magnitudes.
We report on the effects of electron collision and indirect ionization processes on the photoemission spectra of liquid water, specifically at photoexcitation and electron kinetic energies well below 30 eV.
The characterization of liquid-vapor interfaces at the molecular level is an important underpinning for a basic understanding of fundamental heterogeneous processes in many areas, such as atmospheric ...science. Here we use X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to study the adsorption of a model surfactant, octanoic acid, at the water-gas interface. In particular, we examine the information contained in photoelectron angular distributions and show that information about the relative depth of molecules and functional groups within molecules can be obtained from these measurements. Focusing on the relative location of carboxylate (COO
−
) and carboxylic acid (COOH) groups at different solution pH, the former is found to be immersed deeper into the liquid-vapor interface, which is confirmed by classical molecular dynamics simulations. These results help establish photoelectron angular distributions as a sensitive tool for the characterization of molecules at the liquid-vapor interface.
Photoelectron angular distributions can yield information on the relative depth of different molecular groups at the liquid-vapor interface.
Intermolecular Coulombic decay (ICD) is a ubiquitous relaxation channel of electronically excited states in weakly bound systems, ranging from dimers to liquids. As it is driven by electron ...correlation, it was assumed that it will dominate over more established energy loss mechanisms, for example fluorescence. Here, we use electron-electron coincidence spectroscopy to determine the efficiency of the ICD process after 2a
ionization in water clusters. We show that this efficiency is surprisingly low for small water clusters and that it gradually increases to 40-50% for clusters with hundreds of water units. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal that proton transfer between neighboring water molecules proceeds on the same timescale as ICD and leads to a configuration in which the ICD channel is closed. This conclusion is further supported by experimental results from deuterated water. Combining experiment and theory, we infer an intrinsic ICD lifetime of 12-52 fs for small water clusters.
Summary
Immune cell differentiation and function depend on metabolic changes for the provision of energy and metabolites. Consequently, cellular metabolism relies on the availability of ...micronutrients such as vitamins and energy‐rich sources including amino acids and fatty acids. The bone marrow controls the continuous production of blood cells and is thereby reliant on the sophisticated interplay of progenitor and mature immune cells with its stromal microenvironment. The significance of stromal subsets in immunopoiesis is undisputed; however, our current knowledge is limited to their role in the production and secretion of a variety of soluble proteins such as cytokines. In contrast, the role of the haematopoietic niche in controlling and providing nutrients such as fatty acids, amino acids and vitamins, which are required for immune cell differentiation and function, remains largely elusive. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of local nutritional exchange and control between immune and stromal cells in peripheral tissue and, when it is known, in the bone marrow. The parallels found between peripheral tissues and bone marrow stroma raises the question of how local metabolism is capable of influencing haematopoiesis and immunopoiesis. A better understanding of the local exchange of nutrients in the bone marrow can be used to improve immune cell formation during ageing, after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and during immune challenge.
Immune cell differentiation and function depend on metabolic changes for the provision of energy and metabolites. Consequently, cellular metabolism relies on the availability of micronutrients such as vitamins and energy‐rich sources including amino acids and fatty acids. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of local nutritional exchange and control between immune and stromal cells in peripheral tissue and when it is known in the bone marrow.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Ion pairing in electrolyte solutions remains a topic of discussion despite a long history of research. Very recently, nearest-neighbor mediated electronic de-excitation processes of core hole ...vacancies (electron transfer mediated decay, ETMD) were proposed to carry a spectral fingerprint of local solvation structure and in particular of contact ion pairs. Here, for the first time, we apply electron–electron coincidence detection to a liquid microjet, and record ETMD spectra of Li 1s vacancies in aqueous solutions of lithium chloride (LiCl) in direct comparison to lithium acetate (LiOAc). A change in the ETMD spectrum dependent on the electrolyte anion identity is observed for 4.5 M salt concentration. We discuss these findings within the framework of the formation and presence of contact ion pairs and the unique sensitivity of ETMD spectroscopy to ion pairing.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Vaccines are powerful tools to develop immune memory to infectious diseases and prevent excess mortality. In older adults, however vaccines are generally less efficacious and the molecular mechanisms ...that underpin this remain largely unknown. Autophagy, a process known to prevent aging, is critical for the maintenance of immune memory in mice. Here, we show that autophagy is specifically induced in vaccine-induced antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in healthy human volunteers. In addition, reduced IFNγ secretion by RSV-induced T cells in older vaccinees correlates with low autophagy levels. We demonstrate that levels of the endogenous autophagy-inducing metabolite spermidine fall in human T cells with age. Spermidine supplementation in T cells from old donors recovers their autophagy level and function, similar to young donors' cells, in which spermidine biosynthesis has been inhibited. Finally, our data show that endogenous spermidine maintains autophagy via the translation factor eIF5A and transcription factor TFEB. In summary, we have provided evidence for the importance of autophagy in vaccine immunogenicity in older humans and uncovered two novel drug targets that may increase vaccination efficiency in the aging context.
Lipids play a major role in inflammatory diseases by altering inflammatory cell functions, either through their function as energy substrates or as lipid mediators such as oxylipins. Autophagy, a ...lysosomal degradation pathway that limits inflammation, is known to impact on lipid availability, however, whether this controls inflammation remains unexplored. We found that upon intestinal inflammation visceral adipocytes upregulate autophagy and that adipocyte‐specific loss of the autophagy gene Atg7 exacerbates inflammation. While autophagy decreased lipolytic release of free fatty acids, loss of the major lipolytic enzyme Pnpla2/Atgl in adipocytes did not alter intestinal inflammation, ruling out free fatty acids as anti‐inflammatory energy substrates. Instead, Atg7‐deficient adipose tissues exhibited an oxylipin imbalance, driven through an NRF2‐mediated upregulation of Ephx1. This shift reduced secretion of IL‐10 from adipose tissues, which was dependent on the cytochrome P450‐EPHX pathway, and lowered circulating levels of IL‐10 to exacerbate intestinal inflammation. These results suggest an underappreciated fat‐gut crosstalk through an autophagy‐dependent regulation of anti‐inflammatory oxylipins via the cytochrome P450‐EPHX pathway, indicating a protective effect of adipose tissues for distant inflammation.
Synopsis
Cell‐extrinsic effects of autophagy on inflammation remain poorly understood. This study identifies adipocyte autophagy as an important contributor to an adipose‐driven anti‐inflammatory response to intestinal inflammation.
Adipocyte autophagy is induced by DSS‐induced colitis in mice and in Crohn's disease patients.
Loss of autophagy in mature adipocytes results in an exacerbation of DSS‐induced intestinal inflammation.
Augmented DSS‐induced intestinal inflammation upon adipocyte‐specific autophagy inhibition was not due to reduced adipose tissue lipolysis.
Adipocyte‐specific autophagy loss resulted in altered oxylipin metabolism via activation of the cytochrome P450‐EPHX pathway.
Oxylipin imbalance impaired IL‐10 secretion from adipose tissues of DSS‐treated mice.
Gut inflammation modulates autophagy‐dependent oxylipin metabolism in distant fat cells to trigger the release of anti‐inflammatory signals.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK