Methods A prospective birth cohort study of 268 newborn infants with family history of allergies was set up in Seikei-kai Chiba medical center and Chiba University Hospital in Japan from January 2010 ...to January 2012.
Radioactivity from radon is a major background for observing solar neutrinos at Super-Kamiokande. In this paper, we describe the measurement of radon concentrations at Super-Kamiokande, the method of ...radon reduction, and the radon monitoring system. The measurement shows that the current low-energy event rate between 5.0 MeV and 6.5 MeV implies a radon concentration in the Super-Kamiokande water of less than 1.4 mBq/m
3.
Elevations in circulating glucose and gut hormones during feeding promote pancreatic islet cell viability in part via the calcium- and cAMP-dependent activation of the transcription factor CREB. ...Here, we describe a signaling module that mediates the synergistic effects of these pathways on cellular gene expression by stimulating the dephosphorylation and nuclear entry of TORC2, a CREB coactivator. This module consists of the calcium-regulated phosphatase calcineurin and the Ser/Thr kinase SIK2, both of which associate with TORC2. Under resting conditions, TORC2 is sequestered in the cytoplasm via a phosphorylation-dependent interaction with 14-3-3 proteins. Triggering of the calcium and cAMP second messenger pathways by glucose and gut hormones disrupts TORC2:14-3-3 complexes via complementary effects on TORC2 dephosphorylation; calcium influx increases calcineurin activity, whereas cAMP inhibits SIK2 kinase activity. Our results illustrate how a phosphatase/kinase module connects two signaling pathways in response to nutrient and hormonal cues.
Abstract
In T cell-dependent antibody responses, some of the activated B cells differentiate along extrafollicular pathways into low-affinity memory and plasma cells, whereas others are involved in ...subsequent germinal center (GC) formation in follicular pathways, in which somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation occur. The present study demonstrated that Bim, a proapoptotic BH3-only member of the Bcl-2 family, contributes to the establishment of the B-cell repertoire from early to late stages of immune responses to T cell-dependent antigens. Extrafollicular plasma cells grew in the spleen during the early immune response, but their numbers rapidly declined with the appearance of GC-derived progeny in wild-type mice. By contrast, conditional Bim deficiency in B cells resulted in expansion of extrafollicular IgG1+ antibody-forming cells (AFCs) and this expansion was sustained during the late response, which hampered the formation of GC-derived high-affinity plasma cells in the spleen. Approximately 10% of AFCs in mutant mice contained mutated VH genes; thus, Bim deficiency appears not to impede the selection of high-affinity AFC precursor cells. These results suggest that Bim contributes to the replacement of low-affinity antibody by high-affinity antibody as the immune response progresses.
Bim regulates B-cell dynamics as immune responses mature
Abstract Maintenance of bone homeostasis and the balance between bone resorption and formation are crucial for maintaining skeletal integrity. This study sought to investigate the role of ...salt-inducible kinase 3 (SIK3), a key regulator in cellular energy metabolism, during the differentiation of osteoclasts. Despite osteoclasts being high energy-consuming cells essential for breaking down mineralized bone tissue, the specific function of SIK3 in this process remains unclear. To address this issue, we generated osteoclast-specific SIK3 conditional knockout mice and assessed the impact of SIK3 deletion on bone homeostasis. Our findings revealed that SIK3 conditional knockout mice exhibited increased bone mass and an osteopetrosis phenotype, suggesting a pivotal role for SIK3 in bone resorption. Moreover, we assessed the impact of pterosin B, a SIK3 inhibitor, on osteoclast differentiation. The treatment with pterosin B inhibited osteoclast differentiation, reduced the numbers of multinucleated osteoclasts, and suppressed resorption activity in vitro. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that SIK3 deletion and pterosin B treatment influence a common set of genes involved in osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Furthermore, pterosin B treatment altered intracellular metabolism, particularly affecting key metabolic pathways, such as the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. These results provide valuable insights into the involvement of SIK3 in osteoclast differentiation and the molecular mechanisms underlying osteoclast function and bone diseases.
295 The role of NUMB in melanoma Fukumoto, T.; Hristova, D.; Hua, X. ...
Journal of investigative dermatology,
October 2021, 2021-10-00, Letnik:
141, Številka:
10
Journal Article