34 research outputs found
Thermodynamical limit of general gl(N) spin chains II: Excited states and energies
We consider the thermodynamical limit of a gl(N) spin chain with arbitrary
representation at each site of the chain. We consider excitations (with holes
and new strings) above the vacuum and compute their corrections in 1/L to the
densities and the energy.Comment: 29 pages misprints in the example of sect 5.1 amended and a mistake
in theorem 5.4 correcte
Effects of high glucose on human umbilical vein endothelial cell permeability and myosin light chain phosphorylation
Linear and Branched Glyco-Lipopeptide Vaccines Follow Distinct Cross-Presentation Pathways and Generate Different Magnitudes of Antitumor Immunity
Glyco-lipopeptides, a form of lipid-tailed glyco-peptide, are currently under intense investigation as B- and T-cell based vaccine immunotherapy for many cancers. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of glyco-lipopeptides (GLPs) immunogenicity and the position of the lipid moiety on immunogenicity and protective efficacy of GLPs remain to be determined.We have constructed two structural analogues of HER-2 glyco-lipopeptide (HER-GLP) by synthesizing a chimeric peptide made of one universal CD4(+) epitope (PADRE) and one HER-2 CD8(+) T-cell epitope (HER(420-429)). The C-terminal end of the resulting CD4-CD8 chimeric peptide was coupled to a tumor carbohydrate B-cell epitope, based on a regioselectively addressable functionalized templates (RAFT), made of four alpha-GalNAc molecules. The resulting HER glyco-peptide (HER-GP) was then linked to a palmitic acid moiety, attached either at the N-terminal end (linear HER-GLP-1) or in the middle between the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell epitopes (branched HER-GLP-2). We have investigated the uptake, processing and cross-presentation pathways of the two HER-GLP vaccine constructs, and assessed whether the position of linkage of the lipid moiety would affect the B- and T-cell immunogenicity and protective efficacy. Immunization of mice revealed that the linear HER-GLP-1 induced a stronger and longer lasting HER(420-429)-specific IFN-gamma producing CD8(+) T cell response, while the branched HER-GLP-2 induced a stronger tumor-specific IgG response. The linear HER-GLP-1 was taken up easily by dendritic cells (DCs), induced stronger DCs maturation and produced a potent TLR- 2-dependent T-cell activation. The linear and branched HER-GLP molecules appeared to follow two different cross-presentation pathways. While regression of established tumors was induced by both linear HER-GLP-1 and branched HER-GLP-2, the inhibition of tumor growth was significantly higher in HER-GLP-1 immunized mice (p<0.005).These findings have important implications for the development of effective GLP based immunotherapeutic strategies against cancers
Morphological, ecological and behavioural differentiation of sympatric profundal and pelagic Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in Loch Dughaill Scotland
Autophagy-mediated antigen processing in CD4(+) T cell tolerance and immunity
Macroautophagy, a homeostatic process that shuttles cytoplasmic constituents into endosomal and lysosomal compartments, has recently been shown to deliver antigens for presentation on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II. Autophagy-mediated antigen processing in thymic epithelial cells has been suggested to be involved in the generation of a self-MHC restricted and self-tolerant CD4(+) T cell repertoire. Furthermore, there is accumulating evidence that the up-regulation of autophagy by pattern-recognition receptor signaling represents an innate defense mechanism against intracellular pathogens. Thus, through linking pathogen breakdown with the presentation of pathogen-derived autophagy substrates on MHC class II, autophagy serves a dual function at the interface of the innate and the adaptive immune response