Development and Function of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells Producing TH2- and TH17-Cytokines

Four distinct subsets of invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells are shown to differentiate in the thymus, then migrate to peripheral tissues where they retain their phenotypic and functional characteristics

The level of achievement of Nursing skills and sense of difficulties among the graduates : six months after the graduation

本研究の目的は、A大学卒業生の卒業時と卒業後6か月の時点における看護技術到達度と、卒業生が看護技術習得に関して直面した課題や困難を明らかにし、A大学における今後の看護技術教育の課題と方向性を明らかにすることである。卒業生86名(卒業後6か月)に質問紙にて調査を行い、32名の回答を得た。その結果、実習では実践することが難しく、卒業時に技術ができるとした学生が50%未満である診療補助技術が、早期より臨床現場において必要とされる技術であることが分かった。また、直面する困難としては、「未学習の看護技術が未熟」に困難であると回答した割合が最も高く、未経験技術への困難が高いことが明らかとなった。その一方で、方法や物品などが異なる事での不安も述べられており、看護技術の根拠を理解させる教育の必要性が再認識された

Novel Polyurethane-Catalyzed Cyclic Carbonate Synthesis Using CO2 and Epoxide

The conversion of industrially produced greenhouse gases, like CO2, into value-added chemicals is economically beneficial to industry and vital for environmental conservation. However, the conditions for these conversions must themselves be sustainable. In this work, polyurethane (PU) was used to catalyze the formation of five-membered cyclic carbonates (5CCs) via cycloaddition of epoxides and CO2. Using optimized conditions, the representative epoxide, phenyl glycidyl ether, afforded the corresponding 5CC (PGE-5CC) in a quantitative yield with remarkable selectivity (>99%). The PU catalyst does not degrade during the reaction and is separable by simple filtration. In addition, PU could catalyze the 5CC synthesis at least 10 times without loss of catalytic activity and is applicable to a wide range of substituted epoxides. This study pioneers the utilization of polyurethane as an easily recycled catalyst in halogen-free and metal-free reactions for the repurposing of CO2 waste

Induced developmental arrest of early hematopoietic progenitors leads to the generation of leukocyte stem cells

Self-renewal potential and multipotency are hallmarks of a stem cell. It is generally accepted that acquisition of such stemness requires rejuvenation of somatic cells through reprogramming of their genetic and epigenetic status. We show here that a simple block of cell differentiation is sufficient to induce and maintain stem cells. By overexpression of the transcriptional inhibitor ID3 in murine hematopoietic progenitor cells and cultivation under B cell induction conditions, the cells undergo developmental arrest and enter a self-renewal cycle. These cells can be maintained in vitro almost indefinitely, and the long-term cultured cells exhibit robust multi-lineage reconstitution when transferred into irradiated mice. These cells can be cloned and re-expanded with 50% plating efficiency, indicating that virtually all cells are self-renewing. Equivalent progenitors were produced from human cord blood stem cells, and these will ultimately be useful as a source of cells for immune cell therapy

Nucleotide-Promoted Morphogenesis in Amphiphile Assemblies: Kinetic Control of Micrometric Helix Formation †

International audienc

Activation of β-Glucan Synthases by Wall-Bound Purple Acid Phosphatase in Tobacco Cells1[W][OA]

Wall-bound purple acid phosphatases have been shown to be potentially involved in the regulation of plant cell growth. The aim of this work was to further investigate the function of one of these phosphatases in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), NtPAP12, using transgenic cells overexpressing the enzyme. The transgenic cells exhibited a higher level of phosphatase activity in their walls. The corresponding protoplasts regenerating a cell wall exhibited a higher rate of β-glucan synthesis and cellulose deposition was increased in the walls of the transgenic cells. A higher level of plasma membrane glucan synthase activities was also measured in detergent extracts of membrane fractions from the transgenic line, while no activation of Golgi-bound glycan synthases was detected. Enzymatic hydrolysis and methylation analysis were performed on the products synthesized in vitro by the plasma membrane enzymes from the wild-type and transgenic lines extracted with digitonin and incubated with radioactive UDP-glucose. The data showed that the glucans consisted of callose and cellulose and that the amount of each glucan synthesized by the enzyme preparation from the transgenic cells was significantly higher than in the case of the wild-type cells. The demonstration that callose and cellulose synthases are activated in cells overexpressing the wall-bound phosphatase NtPAP12 suggests a regulation of these carbohydrate synthases by a phosphorylation/dephosphorylation process, as well as a role of wall-bound phosphatases in the regulation of cell wall biosynthesis

A Novel Gene Essential for the Development of Single Positive Thymocytes▿

A critical step during intrathymic T-cell development is the transition of CD4+ CD8+ double-positive (DP) cells to the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I)-restricted CD4− CD8+ and MHC-II-restricted CD4+ CD8− single-positive (SP) cell stage. Here, we identify a novel gene that is essential for this process. Through the T-cell phenotype-based screening of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced mutant mice, we established a mouse line in which numbers of CD4 and CD8 SP thymocytes as well as peripheral CD4 and CD8 T cells were dramatically reduced. Using linkage analysis and DNA sequencing, we identified a missense point mutation in a gene, E430004N04Rik (also known as themis), that does not belong to any known gene family. This orphan gene is expressed specifically in DP and SP thymocytes and peripheral T cells, whereas in mutant thymocytes the levels of protein encoded by this gene were drastically reduced. We generated E430004N04Rik-deficient mice, and their phenotype was virtually identical to that of the ENU mutant mice, thereby confirming that this gene is essential for the development of SP thymocytes

Thymic cysts originate from Foxn1 positive thymic medullary epithelium

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs), derived from polarized two-dimensional (2D) oriented endodermal cells, are distinguished from other epithelial cells by their unique three-dimensional (3D) phenotype. However, some polarized epithelial cells remain present in the normal thymus, forming thymic cysts at the cortico-medullary junction. Here, we analyse the dynamics, origin and phenotype of such thymic cysts. In time-course experiments, we show a reverse correlation between thymic cyst expansion and the presence of thymocytes, suggesting a default pathway for the development of TECs in the absence of thymocytes. By transplanting isolated TEC populations into E15 fetal thymic lobes, we provide evidence that medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), rather than cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) contribute to the formation of thymic cysts. Finally, thymi of reporter mice reveal that the cysts originate from epithelia committed to a thymic fate, as indicated by the expression of Foxn1. The 2D-phenotype of cyst-lining TECs is not caused by a downregulation of Foxn1 expression, since a significant proportion of these cells in the embryonic and adult thymus continues to express Foxn1 at the protein level

Involvement of IL-17RB⁺<i>i</i>NKT cells in the development of RSV-induced AHR.

<p>(A) Schematic showing the protocol for RSV-induced AHR. Mice were i.n. administered with RSV (10⁶ pfu) or PBS alone as a control 4 times at 10-day intervals. Mice were i.p. immunized with rec Gs/alum (50 µg/2 mg) 4 d after first RSV infections. Three days after the last RSV administration, mice were exposed i.n. to rec Gs and were measured 1 d later. (B) Development of RSV-induced AHR in BALB/c, but not in <i>Jα18</i>^−/− or <i>Il17rb</i>^−/− mice. Changes in R_L are depicted. The RSV-infected, rec Gs immunized, BALB/c mice had a greatly increased AHR compared to the other three groups. Results are expressed as the mean ± SEM. * <i>p</i><0.05 and ** <i>p</i><0.01. (C, D) Total and differential cell counts (C) and cytokines (D) in BAL fluid. BAL fluid was collected 24 h after challenge of the mice depicted in (B) with intranasal rec Gs. Results are expressed as the mean ± SEM. * <i>p</i><0.05 and ** <i>p</i><0.01. (E) Histological examination of lung tissues by H&E and PAS staining. RSV infected, rec Gs immunized, BALB/c, <i>Jα18</i>^−/− or <i>IL17rb</i>^−/−, mice were compared with control BALB/c mice (rec Gs alone). Bars indicate 100 µm. (F) AHR development after cell transfer of spleen IL-17RB⁺<i>i</i>NKT cells into <i>Jα18</i>^−/− mice. Indicated cell numbers of sorted IL-17RB⁺, IL-17RB⁻<i>i</i>NKT cells or total <i>i</i>NKT cells from spleen, or PBS control, were i.v. transferred into rec-Gs/alum-sensitized <i>Jα18</i>^−/− mice 24 h before RSV treatment (on the day 9, 19, and 29), and then challenged with rec Gs (24 h) and measurement of lung resistance (48 h). Each group of IL-17RB⁺<i>i</i>NKT cell-transferred mice was compared to other three groups. * <i>p</i><0.05, ** <i>p</i><0.01 calculated by Kruskal Wallis test. The results represent one out of four experiments with five mice in each group.</p