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The influence of the lipid mediator resolvin E1 on adaptive immune responses is unclear. Levy and colleagues show that it suppresses airway inflammation in part by decreasing the release of IL-23 and IL-6 from dendritic cells.
The influence of repressive nuclear compartments on Tcrb rearrangement remains uncertain. Krangel and colleagues show that frequent stochastic, rather than directed, association of Tcrb alleles with repressive compartments promotes monoallelic recombination at this locus.
Leukocytes sense and move in the direction of chemoattractants. Kubes and colleagues show that the phosphatase PTEN is required by migrating neutrophils to 'prioritize' multiple chemoattractant signals, as are encountered in infected tissues.
Complement 5 (C5) generates the C5a anaphylatoxin and C5b, a component of the membrane attack complex. Andersen and colleagues present the crystal structure of C5 and identify similarities and differences between C5 and other complement proteins.
The molecular basis of ligand recognition by γδ TCRs remains vague. Adams and colleagues show that the CDR3δ loop, when grafted in place of a CDR3α loop, is sufficient to confer γδ TCR specificity on an αβ TCR.
Mechanisms facilitating Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) ligand recognition are incompletely understood. De Diego and colleagues show that integrin β3 and the serum protein vitronectin are essential for responsiveness to a panel of TLR2 agonists.
The characteristics of the cell type(s) responsible for initiating protective gut immune responses are not fully defined. Akira and colleagues show that TLR5+ lamina propria dendritic cells trigger, in a retinoic-dependent way, the production of interleukin 17 and immunoglobulin A.
Basophils are associated mainly with allergy and immune responses to parasites. Mack and colleagues now show that 'antigen-specific' basophils contribute to the humoral memory response by supplying interleukins 4 and 6.
Developing thymocytes carry out precise assembly of D-to-J followed by V-to-DJ rearrangements at the Tcrb locus. Liu and colleagues show that the transcription factor Fos directs ordered temporal recombination of D segments.
Ets family transcription factors function in mammalian development. Kile and colleagues demonstrate that the Ets family member Erg is essential for definitive hematopoiesis and adult hematopoietic stem cell function.
The transcription factor CIITA regulates coordinated MHC class II gene expression. Bremner and colleagues show that the chromatin-remodeling protein BRG1 confers interferon-γ responsiveness on the CIITA locus by inducing the formation of chromatin loops.