Tissue-Resident CD169+ Macrophages Form a Crucial Front Line against Plasmodium Infection

SummaryTissue macrophages exhibit diverse functions, ranging from the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, including clearance of senescent erythrocytes and cell debris, to modulation of inflammation and immunity. Their contribution to the control of blood-stage malaria remains unclear. Here, we show that in the absence of tissue-resident CD169+ macrophages, Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection results in significantly increased parasite sequestration, leading to vascular occlusion and leakage and augmented tissue deposition of the malarial pigment hemozoin. This leads to widespread tissue damage culminating in multiple organ inflammation. Thus, the capacity of CD169+ macrophages to contain the parasite burden and its sequestration into different tissues and to limit infection-induced inflammation is crucial to mitigating Plasmodium infection and pathogenesis

Long-lived innate IL-17–producing γ/δ T cells modulate antimicrobial epithelial host defense in the colon

Intestinal IL-17–producing cells, including Th17, γ/δ T, and innate lymphoid cells, are differentially distributed along the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, we show that the gut IL-17–producing γ/δ T (γ/δ T17) cells develop before birth and persist in the tissue as long-lived cells with minimal turnover. Most colon γ/δ T17 cells express, together with Vγ4 and CCR6, the scavenger receptor 2 and are mainly restricted to innate lymphoid follicles in the colon. Colon γ/δ T cells in mice that lack conventional dendritic cells 2 produced increased amounts of IL-17 with concomitant heightened epithelial antimicrobial response, such as the C-type lectins Reg3γ and Reg3β. In the absence of γ/δ T cells or after IL-17 neutralization, this epithelial response was dramatically reduced, underlining the protective role of this unique subpopulation of innate γ/δ T17 cells in the colonic mucosa.MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore

Intestinal CD103+CD11b− dendritic cells restrain colitis via IFN-γ-induced anti-inflammatory response in epithelial cells

A crosstalk between commensals, gut immune cells, and colonic epithelia is required for a proper function of intestinal mucosal barrier. Here we investigated the importance of two distinct intestinal dendritic cell (DC) subsets in controlling intestinal inflammation. We show that Clec9A–diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) mice after depletion of CD103+CD11b− DCs developed severe, low-dose dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis, whereas the lack of CD103+CD11b+ DCs in Clec4a4-DTR mice did not exacerbate intestinal inflammation. The CD103+CD11b− DC subset has gained a functional specialization that able them to repress inflammation via several epithelial interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-induced proteins. Among others, we identified that epithelial IDO1 and interleukin-18-binding protein (IL-18bp) were strongly modulated by CD103+CD11b− DCs. Through its preferential property to express IL-12 and IL-15, this particular DC subset can induce lymphocytes in colonic lamina propria and in epithelia to secrete IFN-γ that then can trigger a reversible early anti-inflammatory response in intestinal epithelial cells.MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)NMRC (Natl Medical Research Council, S’pore)Published versio

The nuclear lamina couples mechanical forces to cell fate in the preimplantation embryo via actin organization

Abstract During preimplantation development, contractile forces generated at the apical cortex segregate cells into inner and outer positions of the embryo, establishing the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm. To which extent these forces influence ICM-trophectoderm fate remains unresolved. Here, we found that the nuclear lamina is coupled to the cortex via an F-actin meshwork in mouse and human embryos. Actomyosin contractility increases during development, upregulating Lamin-A levels, but upon internalization cells lose their apical cortex and downregulate Lamin-A. Low Lamin-A shifts the localization of actin nucleators from nucleus to cytoplasm increasing cytoplasmic F-actin abundance. This results in stabilization of Amot, Yap phosphorylation and acquisition of ICM over trophectoderm fate. By contrast, in outer cells, Lamin-A levels increase with contractility. This prevents Yap phosphorylation enabling Cdx2 to specify the trophectoderm. Thus, forces transmitted to the nuclear lamina control actin organization to differentially regulate the factors specifying lineage identity

Analysis of Outcomes in Ischemic vs Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation A Report From the GARFIELD-AF Registry

IMPORTANCE Congestive heart failure (CHF) is commonly associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF), and their combination may affect treatment strategies and outcomes