1.
Role of LysM receptors in chitin-triggered plant innate immunity.
Tanaka, K, Nguyen, CT, Liang, Y, Cao, Y, Stacey, G
Plant signaling & behavior. 2013;(1):e22598
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Abstract
Recent research findings clearly indicate that lysin motif (LysM)-containing cell surface receptors are involved in the recognition of specific oligosaccharide elicitors (chitin and peptidoglycan), which trigger an innate immunity response in plants. These receptors are either LysM-containing receptor-like kinases (LYKs) or LysM-containing receptor proteins (LYPs). In Arabidopsis, five LYKs (AtCERK1/AtLYK1 and AtLYK2-5) and three LYPs (AtLYP1-3) are likely expressed on the plasma membrane. In this review, we summarize recent research results on the role of these receptors in plant innate immunity, including the recent structural characterization of AtCERK1 and composition of the various receptor complexes in Arabidopsis.
2.
mTOR signaling: a central pathway to pathogenesis in systemic lupus erythematosus?
Fernandez, D, Perl, A
Discovery medicine. 2010;(46):173-8
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a common autoimmune disease with unclear etiology. Treatments for it often provide inadequate control of disease activity or are limited by side effects. Recent studies have shown that rapamycin can be an effective treatment in both murine lupus models and human SLE. We demonstrated that rapamycin could directly alter molecular abnormalities in SLE T cells related to calcium signaling but not mitochondrial function. However, in light of increased knowledge of the role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling throughout the immune system, several other potential sites of rapamycin action have been revealed. Specifically, mTOR regulates the production of interferon-alpha and the maintenance of immune tolerance at the level of the regulatory T cell and the dendritic cell, and can promote Th2 versus Th1 immune responses. Thus mTOR offers a window into diverse facets of lupus pathogenesis as well as a unifying narrative in our understanding of the therapeutic efficacy of rapamycin in SLE.