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Volume 3 Issue 1, January 2002

Dendritic cells activated by lipopolysaccharide (left) initiate inflammatory responses. A complex series of intracellular cues leads to dynamic changes in the structure of the cell's DNA and to the transcription of various chemokine and cytokines. Saccani et al. on page 69 report that, in dendritic cells, the kinase p38 ensures that histone H3, in the promoters of a particular set of genes, gets phosphorylated, preparing the site for transcription. Original light micrograph by Saccani et al.

Volume 3 Issue 1

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Editorial

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Correspondence

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Commentary

  • Natural killer cells have been arbitrarily defined using a number of different phenotypic and functional criteria. We asked Lorenzo Moretta if we have truly discovered the core identity of this critical player in eliciting immune responses.

    • Alessandro Moretta
    • Cristina Bottino
    • Lorenzo Moretta
    Commentary
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News & Views

  • Distinguishing which antigen-specific T cell clones will give rise to secondary immune responses is a subject of debate. New data shows higher affinity T cells are better competitors because they are activated more efficiently and can induce the loss of peptide-MHC from DCs.

    • Antonio Lanzavecchia
    News & Views

  • Activation of T cells requires TCR engagement of foreign peptide complexed with MHC. New evidence suggests that TCR engagement of self-peptide–MHC complexes may enhance recognition of foreign antigen.

    • Talitha R. Bakker
    • P. Anton van der Merwe
    News & Views

  • Conventional CD8αβ participates in the activation of T cells by binding to the same peptide-MHC complex as does the TCR. A recent paper in Science shows, however, that the CD8αα form on iIELs binds TL and could alter signals from the TCR.

    • Marc Bonneville
    • François Lang
    News & Views

  • Spacial organization of membrane components can facilitate productive interactions between T cells and APCs. New data suggest that specific peptides are clustered within APC tetraspan microdomains that are more efficient in evoking T cell responses.

    • Peter E. Jensen
    News & Views

  • Multiple regulatory cascades control inflammatory gene expression. The responsive loci need to be prepared to bind the inducing regulatory factors, and such changes can be invoked by p38-dependent histone modification.

    • Kathrin Muegge
    News & Views
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Review Article

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