Elmore Leonard and the Romantic Comedy, or \u27Get Some Love into It\u27” in Critical Essays on Elmore Leonard: If it Sounds Like Writing

This chapter shows that the romantic comedy surfaces in many of Elmore Leonard\u27s works, along with other genres, and that his novel\u27s participation in these genres comes to demand a great deal of the author\u27s energy and interest. When Leonard critics focus on the relation between his novels and film, they often begin with his most explicitly cinematic and self-reflective novel, Get Shorty. At the very least, this novel features the working out of three plots: one is the movie idea that main character Chili Palmer first pitches to producer Harry Zimm. There is also the plot of Harry\u27s pet project, Lovejoy, and then, of course, there is Leonard\u27s main plot in Get Shorty, which has to do with Chili\u27s attempts to get his movie idea, Get Leo, produced. What all three plots “need,” in the words of Bo Catlett, Chili\u27s competition, “are a strong woman part, get some love into it”

The Loss of Gnai2 and Gnai3 in B Cells Eliminates B Lymphocyte Compartments and Leads to a Hyper-IgM Like Syndrome

B lymphocytes are compartmentalized within lymphoid organs. The organization of these compartments depends upon signaling initiated by G-protein linked chemoattractant receptors. To address the importance of the G-proteins Gα(i2) and Gα(i3) in chemoattractant signaling we created mice lacking both proteins in their B lymphocytes. While bone marrow B cell development and egress is grossly intact; mucosal sites, splenic marginal zones, and lymph nodes essentially lack B cells. There is a partial block in splenic follicular B cell development and a 50-60% reduction in splenic B cells, yet normal numbers of splenic T cells. The absence of Gα(i2) and Gα(i3) in B cells profoundly disturbs the architecture of lymphoid organs with loss of B cell compartments in the spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, and gastrointestinal tract. This results in a severe disruption of B cell function and a hyper-IgM like syndrome. Beyond the pro-B cell stage, B cells are refractory to chemokine stimulation, and splenic B cells are poorly responsive to antigen receptor engagement. Gα(i2) and Gα(i3) are therefore critical for B cell chemoattractant receptor signaling and for normal B cell function. These mice provide a worst case scenario of the consequences of losing chemoattractant receptor signaling in B cells

Transcriptional Heterogeneity of IgM⁺ Cells in Rainbow Trout (<i>Oncorhynchus mykiss</i>) Tissues

<div><p>Two major classes of B lymphocytes have been described to date in rainbow trout: IgM⁺ and IgT⁺ cells. IgM⁺ cells are mainly localized in the spleen, peripheral blood and kidney but are also found in other tissues. However, differences among IgM⁺ cell populations attending to its location are poorly defined in fish. Thus, the aim of this work was to characterize the expression of different immune molecules such as chemokine receptors, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and transcription factors on sorted IgM⁺ lymphocytes from different rainbow trout tissues. IgM⁺ populations from blood, spleen, kidney, gills, intestine and liver were isolated by cell sorting and the constitutive levels of transcription of these genes evaluated by real-time PCR. To further characterize B cells, we identified an MS4A sequence. In humans, the MS4A family includes several genes with immune functions, such as the B cell marker CD20 or FcRβ. Subsequently, we have also evaluated the mRNA levels of this MS4A gene in the different IgM⁺ populations. The relevant differences in transcriptional patterns observed for each of these IgM⁺ populations analyzed, point to the presence of functionally different tissue-specific B cell populations in rainbow trout. The data shown provides a pattern of genes transcribed in IgM⁺ B cells not previously revealed in teleost fish. Furthermore, the constitutive expression of all the TLR genes analyzed in IgM⁺ cells suggests an important role for these cells in innate immunity.</p> </div