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

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

Multiple Variations of the Nerves of Gluteal Region and their Clinical Implications

Knowledge of variations of nerves of gluteal region is important for clinicians administering intramuscular injections, for orthopedic surgeons dealing with the hip surgeries and possibly for physiotherapists managing the painful conditions and paralysis of this region. We report multiple variations of the nerves of gluteal region through this article. In the current case, the sciatic nerve was absent. The common peroneal and tibial nerves arose from sacral plexus and reached the gluteal region through greater sciatic foramen above and below piriformis respectively. The common peroneal nerve gave a muscular branch to the gluteus maximus. The inferior gluteal nerve and posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh arose from a common trunk. The common trunk was formed by three roots. Upper and middle roots arose from sacral plexus and entered gluteal region through greater sciatic foramen respectively above and below piriformis. The lower root arose from the pudendal nerve and joined the common trunk. We discuss the clinical implications of the variations

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Not AvailableWe report the 4.25-Mbp first draft sequence of Gammaproteobacteria strain MFB021, a moderate halophile isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil in Cochin, India. The genome of the strain MFB021 was sequenced to understand the mechanism of hydrocarbon degradation and the halophilicity of the bacterium.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableWe report the 4.25-Mbp first draft sequence of Gammaproteobacteria strain MFB021, a moderate halophile isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil in Cochin, India. The genome of the strain MFB021 was sequenced to understand the mechanism of hydrocarbon degradation and the halophilicity of the bacterium.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableMangrovibacter sp. MFB070, a Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, nitrogen-fixing bacterium, was isolated from an aquaculture farm in Cochin, India. Here, we report the first draft genome sequence of a member of the genus Mangrovibacter, which may help us to elucidate the evolutionary status of this genus. The draft genome sequence of the Mangrovibacter sp. consists of 5,361,682 bp, encoding 4,971 predicted coding sequences in 57 contigs.Not Availabl

Differential signal transduction, membrane trafficking, and immune effector functions mediated by FcγRI versus FcγRIIa

Receptors for the fragment crystallizable region of immunoglobulin-G (FcγRs) play an important role in linking the humoral and cellular arms of the immune response. In this study, we present a comprehensive functional comparison of 2 human Fc-receptors, FcγRI and FcγRIIa. Activation of FcγRI results in a novel signaling cascade that links phospholipase D1 to sphingosine kinase-1 in U937 cells and primary human monocytes. This induces the expression of proinflammatory mediators and is associated with trafficking of immune complexes into human leukocyte antigen-DM positive antigen-processing compartments coupled with improved MHC class II–mediated antigen presentation to T lymphocytes. In contrast, activation of FcγRIIa elicits signaling through phospholipase Cγ1, resulting in increases in intracellular calcium, activation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidative burst, and differential membrane trafficking combined with impaired antigen presentation and proinflammatory cytokine expression. These data provide a mechanistic insight into the disparate activities associated with Fc receptors in immunity, namely, reinforcement of immune responses through stimulation of proinflammatory signaling and antigen presentation, versus the maintenance of immunologic homeostasis through the noninflammatory clearance of immune complexes