Cathelicidin-like Helminth Defence Molecules (HDMs) Absence of Cytotoxic, Anti-microbial and Anti-protozoan Activities Imply a Specific Adaptation to Immune Modulation

Host defence peptides (HDPs) are expressed throughout the animal and plant kingdoms. They have multifunctional roles in the defence against infectious agents of mammals, possessing both bactericidal and immune-modulatory activities. We have identified a novel family of molecules secreted by helminth parasites (helminth defence molecules; HDMs) that exhibit similar structural and biochemical characteristics to the HDPs. Here, we have analyzed the functional activities of four HDMs derived from Schistosoma mansoni and Fasciola hepatica and compared them to human, mouse, bovine and sheep HDPs. Unlike the mammalian HDPs the helminth-derived HDMs show no antimicrobial activity and are non-cytotoxic to mammalian cells (macrophages and red blood cells). However, both the mammalian- and helminth-derived peptides suppress the activation of macrophages by microbial stimuli and alter the response of B cells to cytokine stimulation. Therefore, we hypothesise that HDMs represent a novel family of HDPs that evolved to regulate the immune responses of their mammalian hosts by retaining potent immune modulatory properties without causing deleterious cytotoxic effects. © 2013 Thivierge et al

Morphological variability and genetic diversity in five species of Skeletonema (Bacillariophyta)

Twelve strains of Skeletonema from Chinese coastal waters and another strain from the West Sea of Korea were examined using light microscopy (LM), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), and small subunit (SSU) rDNA sequence analysis. We identified four species of Skeletonema: S. marinoi Sarno et Zingone, S. subsalsum (A. Cleve) Bethge, S. dohrnii Sarno et Kooistra, S. tropicum Cleve, as well as a Skeletonema-like species. These are the first records of S. marinoi, S. dohrnii and S. subsalsum in China. The Skeletonema-like species, MMDL5067, was isolated from the estuary of the Changjiang River. The morphologic and phylogenetic characteristics of this species are not correspond to those of any previously published Skeletonema species. The intercalary fultoportula processes (IFPPs) has long open tubes, and the intercalary rimoportula process (IRP) is short and located inside the rim of the IFPPs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that MMDL5630 clustered with S. tropicum in the NJ and MP trees, but its IRPs differed from those of previously described specimens of S. tropicum. The IRP is partially open, with an elongated opening at the base of the tube, and is longer than the IFPPs. Some specimens of S. marinoi and S. dohrnii also have longer tubular IRPs than the IFPPs. Compared to previously described specimens of S. marinoi and S. dohrnii, these two specimens we identified have shorter IRPs. Our results reflect the ambiguity and diversity of Skeletonema taxonomy. They are also significant for the future identification and management of red tides caused by Skeletonema in the seas around China. (C) 2008 National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited and Science in China Press. All rights reserved.Major State Basic Research Development Program of China [2005CB422305]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [40476055, 40676082

Synaptic mechanisms of adaptation and sensitization in the retina

Sensory systems continually adjust the way stimuli are processed. What are the circuit mechanisms underlying this plasticity? We investigated how synapses in the retina of zebrafish adjust to changes in the temporal contrast of a visual stimulus by imaging activity in vivo. Following an increase in contrast, bipolar cell synapses with strong initial responses depressed, whereas synapses with weak initial responses facilitated. Depression and facilitation predominated in different strata of the inner retina, where bipolar cell output was anticorrelated with the activity of amacrine cell synapses providing inhibitory feedback. Pharmacological block of GABAergic feedback converted facilitating bipolar cell synapses into depressing ones. These results indicate that depression intrinsic to bipolar cell synapses causes adaptation of the ganglion cell response to contrast, whereas depression in amacrine cell synapses causes sensitization. Distinct microcircuits segregating to different layers of the retina can cause simultaneous increases or decreases in the gain of neural responses

Public Regulation of the Religious Use of Land

Notch2 and B cell antigen receptor (BCR) signaling determine whether transitional B cells become marginal zone B (MZB) or follicular B (FoB) cells in the spleen, but it is unknown how these pathways are related. We generated Taok3 -/- mice, lacking the serine/threonine kinase Taok3, and found cell-intrinsic defects in the development of MZB but not FoB cells. Type 1 transitional (T1) B cells required Taok3 to rapidly respond to ligation by the Notch ligand Delta-like 1. BCR ligation by endogenous or exogenous ligands induced the surface expression of the metalloproteinase ADAM10 on T1 B cells in a Taok3-dependent manner. T1 B cells expressing surface ADAM10 were committed to becoming MZB cells in vivo, whereas T1 B cells lacking expression of ADAM10 were not. Thus, during positive selection in the spleen, BCR signaling causes immature T1 B cells to become receptive to Notch ligands via Taok3-mediated surface expression of ADAM10