Correction: Granulocytes Impose a Tight Bottleneck upon the Gut Luminal Pathogen Population during Salmonella Typhimurium Colitis ((2015), 11, 7)

10.1371/journal.ppat.1005047PLoS Pathogens117e100504

TGF beta selects for pro-stemness over pro-invasive phenotypes during cancer cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF(beta) induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which correlates with sternness and invasiveness. Mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) is induced by TGF beta withdrawal and correlates with metastatic colonization. Whether TGF beta promotes sternness and invasiveness simultaneously via EMT remains unclear. We established a breast cancer cell model expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) under the E-cadherin promoter. In 2D cultures, TGF beta induced EMT, generating RFPlow cells with a mesenchymal transcriptome, and regained RFP, with an epithelial transcriptome, after MET induced by TGF beta withdrawal. RFPlow cells generated robust mammospheres, with epithelio-mesenchymal cell surface features. Mammospheres that were forced to adhere generated migratory cells, devoid of RFP, a phenotype which was inhibited by a TGF beta receptor kinase inhibitor. Further stimulation of RFPlow mammospheres with TGF beta suppressed the generation of motile cells, but enhanced mammosphere growth. Accordingly, mammary fat-pad-transplanted mammospheres, in the absence of exogenous TGF beta treatment, established lung metastases with evident MET (RFPhigh cells). In contrast, TGF beta-treated mammospheres revealed high tumour-initiating capacity, but limited metastatic potential. Thus, the biological context of partial EMT and MET allows TGF beta to differentiate between pro-sternness and pro-invasive phenotypes.Cancer Signaling networks and Molecular Therapeutic

TGF beta selects for pro-stemness over pro-invasive phenotypes during cancer cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF(beta) induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which correlates with sternness and invasiveness. Mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) is induced by TGF beta withdrawal and correlates with metastatic colonization. Whether TGF beta promotes sternness and invasiveness simultaneously via EMT remains unclear. We established a breast cancer cell model expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) under the E-cadherin promoter. In 2D cultures, TGF beta induced EMT, generating RFPlow cells with a mesenchymal transcriptome, and regained RFP, with an epithelial transcriptome, after MET induced by TGF beta withdrawal. RFPlow cells generated robust mammospheres, with epithelio-mesenchymal cell surface features. Mammospheres that were forced to adhere generated migratory cells, devoid of RFP, a phenotype which was inhibited by a TGF beta receptor kinase inhibitor. Further stimulation of RFPlow mammospheres with TGF beta suppressed the generation of motile cells, but enhanced mammosphere growth. Accordingly, mammary fat-pad-transplanted mammospheres, in the absence of exogenous TGF beta treatment, established lung metastases with evident MET (RFPhigh cells). In contrast, TGF beta-treated mammospheres revealed high tumour-initiating capacity, but limited metastatic potential. Thus, the biological context of partial EMT and MET allows TGF beta to differentiate between pro-sternness and pro-invasive phenotypes

Gasdermin D is the only Gasdermin that provides protection against acute Salmonella gut infection in mice.

Gasdermins (GSDMs) share a common functional domain structure and are best known for their capacity to form membrane pores. These pores are hallmarks of a specific form of cell death called pyroptosis and mediate the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1β (IL1β) and interleukin 18 (IL18). Thereby, Gasdermins have been implicated in various immune responses against cancer and infectious diseases such as acute Salmonella Typhimurium (S.Tm) gut infection. However, to date, we lack a comprehensive functional assessment of the different Gasdermins (GSDMA-E) during S.Tm infection in vivo. Here, we used epithelium-specific ablation, bone marrow chimeras, and mouse lines lacking individual Gasdermins, combinations of Gasdermins or even all Gasdermins (GSDMA1-3C1-4DE) at once and performed littermate-controlled oral S.Tm infections in streptomycin-pretreated mice to investigate the impact of all murine Gasdermins. While GSDMA, C, and E appear dispensable, we show that GSDMD i) restricts S.Tm loads in the gut tissue and systemic organs, ii) controls gut inflammation kinetics, and iii) prevents epithelium disruption by 72 h of the infection. Full protection requires GSDMD expression by both bone-marrow-derived lamina propria cells and intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). In vivo experiments as well as 3D-, 2D-, and chimeric enteroid infections further show that infected IEC extrusion proceeds also without GSDMD, but that GSDMD controls the permeabilization and morphology of the extruding IECs, affects extrusion kinetics, and promotes overall mucosal barrier capacity. As such, this work identifies a unique multipronged role of GSDMD among the Gasdermins for mucosal tissue defense against a common enteric pathogen

Granulocytes Impose a Tight Bottleneck upon the Gut Luminal Pathogen Population during Salmonella Typhimurium Colitis

10.1371/journal.ppat.1004557PLoS Pathogens1012Jan-1

Control Attitudes toward Drug Use as a Function of Paternalistic and Moralistic Principles

Perceptions of crime seriousness have been studied since the 1960s. Characteristics of acts affecting these perceptions have been identified, and the degree of agreement in seriousness judgments has been examined for a variety of behaviors. The present study extends this inquiry by investigating how perceptions of self-harm and perceptions of immorality shape attitudes toward the control of drug use. These attitudes and perceptions were measured for six widely known drugs - alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, heroin, LSD, and marijuana - using an electronic mail survey of university students. Univariate analysis shows dissensus rather than consensus in attitudes and perceptions and that, with the exception of marijuana, control attitudes toward drug use reflect the existing legal code. Multivariate analysis shows that perceptions of self-harm and perceptions of immorality are moderately to highly correlated and that control attitudes are strongly affected by perceptions of self-harm and perceptions of immorality