Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Envelope Protein Regulates Cell Stress Response and Apoptosis

Severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS-CoV) that lacks the envelope (E) gene (rSARS-CoV-ΔE) is attenuated in vivo. To identify factors that contribute to rSARS-CoV-ΔE attenuation, gene expression in cells infected by SARS-CoV with or without E gene was compared. Twenty-five stress response genes were preferentially upregulated during infection in the absence of the E gene. In addition, genes involved in signal transduction, transcription, cell metabolism, immunoregulation, inflammation, apoptosis and cell cycle and differentiation were differentially regulated in cells infected with rSARS-CoV with or without the E gene. Administration of E protein in trans reduced the stress response in cells infected with rSARS-CoV-ΔE or with respiratory syncytial virus, or treated with drugs, such as tunicamycin and thapsigargin that elicit cell stress by different mechanisms. In addition, SARS-CoV E protein down-regulated the signaling pathway inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE-1) of the unfolded protein response, but not the PKR-like ER kinase (PERK) or activating transcription factor 6 (ATF-6) pathways, and reduced cell apoptosis. Overall, the activation of the IRE-1 pathway was not able to restore cell homeostasis, and apoptosis was induced probably as a measure to protect the host by limiting virus production and dissemination. The expression of proinflammatory cytokines was reduced in rSARS-CoV-ΔE-infected cells compared to rSARS-CoV-infected cells, suggesting that the increase in stress responses and the reduction of inflammation in the absence of the E gene contributed to the attenuation of rSARS-CoV-ΔE

Assessing the human immune system through blood transcriptomics

Blood is the pipeline of the immune system. Assessing changes in transcript abundance in blood on a genome-wide scale affords a comprehensive view of the status of the immune system in health and disease. This review summarizes the work that has used this approach to identify therapeutic targets and biomarker signatures in the field of autoimmunity and infectious disease. Recent technological and methodological advances that will carry the blood transcriptome research field forward are also discussed

Genome-wide gene expression profiling of human mast cells stimulated by IgE or Fc epsilon RI-aggregation reveals a complex network of genes involved in inflammatory responses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mast cells are well established effectors of IgE-triggered allergic reactions and immune responses to parasitic infections. Recent studies indicate that mast cells may play roles in adaptive and innate immunity, suggesting an innovative view of the regulation of immune responses. Here, we profiled the transcriptome of human mast cells sensitized with IgE alone, or stimulated by FcεRI aggregation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our data show that among 8,793 genes examined, 559 genes are differentially regulated in stimulated mast cells when compared with resting/unstimulated mast cells. The major functional categories of upregulated genes include cytokines, chemokines, and other genes involved in innate and adaptive immune-responses. We observed the increased expression of over 63 gene-transcripts following IgE-sensitization alone. Our data was validated using Real-Time-PCR; ELISA and western blot. We confirmed that IgE alone does not trigger mast cell-immediate responses, such as calcium signals, degranulation or protein-phosphorylation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This report represents a substantial advance in our understanding of the genome wide effects triggered by "passive sensitization" or active stimulation of human mast cells, supporting mast cells' potential involvement in a wide range of inflammatory responses.</p

Clonogenic multiple myeloma cells have shared stemness signature associated with patient survival

Oncotarget481230-124

Assessment of Serum Adiponectin and Leptin in Chronic Periodontitis Over Healthy Individuals

Objective: The objective of the research was to ascertain whether serum levels of the biochemical markers adiponectin and leptin are related to clinical periodontal characteristics. Materials and Method: For the study, 20 people with chronic periodontitis (Group A) and 20 healthy people (Group B) were enrolled. Assessments were conducted on periodontal markers, including bleeding on probing (POP), gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment level (CAL). An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test was used to assess the levels of adiponectin and leptin in serum samples. Result: There was significant elevation in average level of leptin in chronic periodontitis in association to that in healthy group. On the other hand, there was considerable decrease in serum adiponectin in group A in association to healthy group. The ratio of leptin\adiponectin was appreciably greater amongst periodontitis group compared to healthy group. Conclusion: The current investigation leads us to the conclusion that the pathophysiology of periodontitis is significantly influenced by serum levels of adiponectin and leptin

Enhancing the Efficiency and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells through Defect Passivation and Controlled Crystal Growth Using Allantoin

In this study, we present a robust approach that concurrently manages crystal growth and defect passivation within the perovskite layer through the introduction of a small molecule additiveallantoin. The precise regulation of crystal growth in the presence of allantoin yields perovskite films characterized by enhanced morphology, larger grain size, and improved grain orientation. Notably, the carbonyl and amino groups present in allantoin passivate under-coordinated Pb2+ and I– defects, respectively, through molecular interactions. Trap density in the perovskite layer is measured, and it is 0.39 × 1016 cm–3 for the allantoin-incorporated device and 0.83 × 1016 cm–3 for the pristine device. This reduction in defects leads to reduced trap-assisted nonradiative recombination, as confirmed by the photoluminescence, transient photo voltage, and impedance measurements. As a result, when these allantoin-incorporated perovskite films are implemented as the active layer in solar cells, a noteworthy efficiency enhancement to 20.63% is attained, surpassing the 18.04% of their pristine counterparts. Furthermore, devices with allantoin exhibit remarkable operational stability, maintaining 80% of their efficiency even after 500 h of continuous illumination, whereas the pristine device degraded to 65% of its initial efficiency in 400 h. Also, allantoin-incorporated devices exhibited exceptional stability against high humidity and elevated temperatures