Mucosal‐associated invariant T (MAIT) cells represent up to 10% of circulating human T cells. They are usually defined using combinations of non‐lineage‐specific (surrogate) markers such as ...anti‐TRAV1‐2, CD161, IL‐18Rα and CD26. The development of MR1‐Ag tetramers now permits the specific identification of MAIT cells based on T‐cell receptor specificity. Here, we compare these approaches for identifying MAIT cells and show that surrogate markers are not always accurate in identifying these cells, particularly the CD4+ fraction. Moreover, while all MAIT cell subsets produced comparable levels of IFNγ, TNF and IL‐17A, the CD4+ population produced more IL‐2 than the other subsets. In a human ontogeny study, we show that the frequencies of most MR1 tetramer+ MAIT cells, with the exception of CD4+ MAIT cells, increased from birth to about 25 years of age and declined thereafter. We also demonstrate a positive association between the frequency of MAIT cells and other unconventional T cells including Natural Killer T (NKT) cells and Vδ2+ γδ T cells. Accordingly, this study demonstrates that MAIT cells are phenotypically and functionally diverse, that surrogate markers may not reliably identify all of these cells, and that their numbers are regulated in an age‐dependent manner and correlate with NKT and Vδ2+ γδ T cells.
This study uses MR1 tetramers to enumerate and phenotypically characterize human blood MAIT cells, and subsets thereof based on CD4 and CD8 expression. Furthermore MR1 tetramers are compared to the commonly used mAb‐based MAIT cell identification techniques.
We have conducted pulling and bending tests on individual carbon nanotubes in-situ in a transition electron microscope. Based on our observation of the force required to break the tube, a tensile ...strength of 0.15 TPa was computed. From corresponding bending studies on such nanotubes, the Young's modulus was estimated to be 0.9 TPa (0.8 TPa after ‘sub continuum’ corrections). These results suggest a strength that is a large fraction of the elastic modulus, although previous measurements of their elastic stiffness have yielded higher modulus values, by as much as a factor of 2. The result does indicate that individual nanotubes can fail as essentially defect-free materials. Furthermore, we observed no obvious reduction in cross-sectional area prior to the failure. In addition, the bending experiments revealed a remarkable flexibility in these tubes. These unique properties support the potential of nanotubes as reinforcement fibers in structural materials.
A characteristic of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells is the expression of TRAV1-2+ T cell receptors (TCRs) that are activated by riboflavin metabolite-based antigens (Ag) presented by the ...MHC-I related molecule, MR1. Whether the MR1-restricted T cell repertoire and associated Ag responsiveness extends beyond these cells remains unclear. Here, we describe MR1 autoreactivity and folate-derivative reactivity in a discrete subset of TRAV1-2+ MAIT cells. This recognition was attributable to CDR3β loop-mediated effects within a consensus TRAV1-2+ TCR-MR1-Ag footprint. Furthermore, we have demonstrated differential folate- and riboflavin-derivative reactivity by a diverse population of “atypical” TRAV1-2− MR1-restricted T cells. We have shown that TRAV1-2− T cells are phenotypically heterogeneous and largely distinct from TRAV1-2+ MAIT cells. A TRAV1-2− TCR docks more centrally on MR1, thereby adopting a markedly different molecular footprint to the TRAV1-2+ TCR. Accordingly, diversity within the MR1-restricted T cell repertoire leads to differing MR1-restricted Ag specificity.
•Identification of TRAV1-2− MR1 restricted T cells•Characterization of autoreactive and folate-derivative-reactive MAIT cells•Folate-derivative responsiveness and autoreactivity mediated by CDR3β hypervariability•Structure determination of a TRAV1-2− TCR-MR1-antigen complex
MAIT cells, defined by an invariant TRAV1-2+ TCR α-chain, respond to riboflavin-based metabolites presented by MR1. Rossjohn, Godfrey, and colleagues describe atypical TRAV1-2+ and TRAV1-2− MR1 restricted T cells that can be activated by riboflavin and folate derivatives, and provide a molecular basis underpinning their interactions.
We search for single-photon events in 53 fb^{-1} of e^{+}e^{-} collision data collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B-Factory. We look for events with a single high-energy photon and a ...large missing momentum and energy, consistent with production of a spin-1 particle A^{'} through the process e^{+}e^{-}→γA^{'}; A^{'}→invisible. Such particles, referred to as "dark photons," are motivated by theories applying a U(1) gauge symmetry to dark matter. We find no evidence for such processes and set 90% confidence level upper limits on the coupling strength of A^{'} to e^{+}e^{-} in the mass range m_{A^{'}}≤8 GeV. In particular, our limits exclude the values of the A^{'} coupling suggested by the dark-photon interpretation of the muon (g-2)_{μ} anomaly, as well as a broad range of parameters for the dark-sector models.
Dark sectors charged under a new Abelian interaction have recently received much attention in the context of dark matter models. These models introduce a light new mediator, the so-called dark photon ...(A^{'}), connecting the dark sector to the standard model. We present a search for a dark photon in the reaction e^{+}e^{-}→γA^{'}, A^{'}→e^{+}e^{-}, μ^{+}μ^{-} using 514 fb^{-1} of data collected with the BABAR detector. We observe no statistically significant deviations from the standard model predictions, and we set 90% confidence level upper limits on the mixing strength between the photon and dark photon at the level of 10^{-4}-10^{-3} for dark photon masses in the range 0.02-10.2 GeV. We further constrain the range of the parameter space favored by interpretations of the discrepancy between the calculated and measured anomalous magnetic moment of the muon.
We search for the rare flavor-changing neutral current process B^{+}→K^{+}τ^{+}τ^{-} using data from the BABAR experiment. The data sample, collected at the center-of-mass energy of the ϒ(4S) ...resonance, corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 424 fb^{-1} and to 471×10^{6} BBover ¯ pairs. We reconstruct one B meson, produced in the ϒ(4S)→B^{+}B^{-} decay, in one of many hadronic decay modes and search for activity compatible with a B^{+}→K^{+}τ^{+}τ^{-} decay in the rest of the event. Each τ lepton is required to decay leptonically into an electron or muon and neutrinos. Comparing the expected number of background events with the data sample after applying the selection criteria, we do not find evidence for a signal. The resulting upper limit, at the 90% confidence level, is B(B^{+}→K^{+}τ^{+}τ^{-})<2.25×10^{-3}.
Axionlike particles (ALPs) are predicted in many extensions of the standard model, and their masses can naturally be well below the electroweak scale. In the presence of couplings to electroweak ...bosons, these particles could be emitted in flavor-changing B meson decays. We report herein a search for an ALP, a, in the reaction B^{±}→K^{±}a, a→γγ using data collected by the BABAR experiment at SLAC. No significant signal is observed, and 90% confidence level upper limits on the ALP coupling to electroweak bosons are derived as a function of ALP mass, improving current constraints by several orders of magnitude in the range 0.175 GeV<m_{a}<4.78 GeV.
Many scenarios of physics beyond the standard model predict the existence of new gauge singlets, which might be substantially lighter than the weak scale. The experimental constraints on additional ...scalars with masses in the MeV to GeV range could be significantly weakened if they interact predominantly with leptons rather than quarks. At an e+e− collider, such a leptophilic scalar (ϕL) would be produced predominantly through radiation from a τ lepton. We report herein a search for e+e−→τ+τ−ϕL, ϕL→ℓ+ℓ− (ℓ=e, μ) using data collected by the BABAR experiment at SLAC. No significant signal is observed, and we set limits on the ϕL coupling to leptons in the range 0.04<mϕL<7.0 GeV. These bounds significantly improve upon the current constraints, excluding almost entirely the parameter space favored by the observed discrepancy in the muon anomalous magnetic moment below 4 GeV at 90% confidence level.
We present a search for a neutral, long-lived particle L that is produced in e+ e- collisions and decays at a significant distance from the e+ e- interaction point into various flavor combinations of ...two oppositely charged tracks. The analysis uses an e+ e- data sample with a luminosity of 489.1 fb(-1) collected by the BABAR detector at the ϒ(4S), ϒ(3S), and ϒ(2S) resonances and just below the ϒ(4S). Fitting the two-track mass distribution in search of a signal peak, we do not observe a significant signal, and set 90% confidence level upper limits on the product of the L production cross section, branching fraction, and reconstruction efficiency for six possible two-body L decay modes as a function of the L mass. The efficiency is given for each final state as a function of the mass, lifetime, and transverse momentum of the candidate, allowing application of the upper limits to any production model. In addition, upper limits are provided on the branching fraction B(B→XsL), where Xs is a strange hadronic system.
We report on a precision measurement of the ratio R_{τμ}^{ϒ(3S)}=B(ϒ(3S)→τ^{+}τ^{-})/B(ϒ(3S)→μ^{+}μ^{-}) using data collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II e^{+}e^{-} collider. The ...measurement is based on a 28 fb^{-1} data sample collected at a center-of-mass energy of 10.355 GeV corresponding to a sample of 122 million ϒ(3S) mesons. The ratio is measured to be R_{τμ}^{ϒ(3S)}=0.966±0.008_{stat}±0.014_{syst} and is in agreement with the standard model prediction of 0.9948 within 2 standard deviations. The uncertainty in R_{τμ}^{ϒ(3S)} is almost an order of magnitude smaller than the only previous measurement.
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