BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen presenting cells which proceed from immature to a mature stage during their differentiation. There are several methods of obtaining long lasting mature antigen expressing DCs and different methods show different levels of antigen expressions. We investigated bone marrow derived DCs for the degree of maturation and genetically engi...

To date, the intracellular signaling pathways involved in dendritic cell (DC) function are poorly understood. The antioxidative transcription factor nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) has been shown to affect maturation, function, and subsequent DC-mediated T cell responses of murine and human DCs. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), as prototype animal model for...

PNAS u September 26, 2000 u vol. 97 u no. 20 u 10679–10681 The antigen receptors made by lymphocytes are antibodies, which exist as soluble and cell-bound molecules, and Tcell receptors (TCRs), which are always found on cell surfaces. The function of these receptors in immunity depends on their specificity and affinity for antigen. Specificity—the potential to bind one unique chemical structure...

γδ T cells contribute uniquely to immune competence. Nevertheless, how they function remains an enigma. It is unclear what most γδ T cells recognize, what is required for them to mount an immune response, and how the γδ T cell response is integrated into host immune defense. Here, we report that a noted B cell antigen, the algae protein phycoerythrin (PE), is a murine and human γδ T cell antige...

Cloned murine helper T cells, restricted to the Iab antigens of the major histocompatibility locus and specific for horse erythrocytes as a foreign antigen, produce, in cooperation with antigen and histocompatible adherent cells, soluble factors that replace the helper T cells in their action on B cells. Three types of factors can be distinguished on the basis of molecular weight: proteins havi...

A mechanism is proposed which explains the perpetuation of B-cell immunological memory indefinitely without requiring the presence of long-living memory cells or persisting antigen. The salient feature of this model is that immunological memory can be perpetuated indefinitely through the mutual interaction of idiotypic and anti-idiotypic B cells. These cells mutually stimulate and clonally expa...

The response of an animal to antigen is altered after its first exposure. The intensified secondary response has been attributed by some to the presence of qualitatively different "memory" cells. The concept of two types of antigen-sensitive ceils, occurring as successive stages in immunoeyte maturation, was elaborated by Burner (i) and Leduc et al. (2), and later into an X-Y-Z scheme by Sercar...

Classical antigen presentation by major histocompatibility complex class I molecules involves cytosolic processing of endogenously synthesized antigens by proteasomes and translocation of processed peptides into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by transporters associated with antigen presentation (TAP). Alternative pathways for processing of endogenous antigens, generally involving the ER, have b...

During T-cell maturation, thymocytes interact with thymic stromal major histocompatibility complex (MHC) determinants and thymic hormones, and proliferate, apparently in response to MHC gene products, in the absence of antigen. The maturing thymocytes also express a series of cell surface molecules, at one stage coexpressing T4, T6, and T8. Mature T cells express either T4 or T8, lack T6, bear ...