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The B cell antigen receptor complex serves as a 'multipurpose machine'. Two new studies provide mechanistic insights into its activation- and anergy-related functions.
The cellular RNA helicase RIG-I initiates an antiviral response through the activation of several protein kinases. The physical link between RIG-I and these 'downstream' kinases has now been identified.
L-selectin expressed by lymphocytes interacts with specialized glycans on endothelium to mediate lymphocyte rolling. Two sulfotransferases that act cooperatively to add sulfate esters to a specific sugar residue on glycans are critical for this process.
Naturally occurring regulatory T cells are key in controlling autoimmune and inflammatory responses. New data indicate that although interleukin 2 signals are not essential for regulatory T cell development in the thymus, they are critical for maintenance of these cells in the periphery.
CD4+ T cells have been classically separated into two dominant effector populations: T helper types 1 and 2. Two new studies suggest that T cells producing interleukin 17 constitute a previously unknown lineage of CD4+ T cells.