To study the requirements for assembly of MHC class I molecules with antigenic peptides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), we studied Ag processing in insect cells. Insects lack a class I recognition system, and their cells therefore provide a "blank slate" for identifying the proteins that have evolved to facilitate assembly of class I molecules in vertebrate cells. H-2Kb heavy chain, mouse be...

The relative contribution to cytotoxicity of each of the multiple NK cell activation receptors has been difficult to assess. Using Drosophila insect cells, which express ligands of human NK cell receptors, we show that target cell lysis by resting NK cells is controlled by different receptor signals for cytolytic granule polarization and degranulation. Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 o...

Insect hemocytes (equivalent to mammalian white blood cells) play an important role in several physiological processes throughout an insect's life cycle. In larval stages of insects belonging to the orders of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) and Diptera (true flies), hemocytes are formed from the lymph gland (a specialized hematopoietic organ) or embryonic cells and can be carried through to...

Cellular automata (CA) are discrete systems used for modelling complex spatial dynamic phenomena. The discrete nature of CA enables integration with rasterbased geospatial datasets in geographic information systems (GIS), and also can be beneficial when modelling complex ecological processes that evolve over time. However, when modelling forest insect infestations it is difficult to use discret...

Azadirachtin A in ppm quantity inhibits proliferation and monolayer formation of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells in monolayer culture. The incubated cells demonstrate reduced rates of protein synthesis which finally leads to cell death. This growth inhibiting activity is compared with other botanicals such as ohchinin, salannin and volkensin. The high and specific activity of azadirach...

Recombinant alphaviruses have been used as vehicles for delivery and expression of heterologous genes in mammalian, avian and insect cell lines. We have used a Sindbis replicon virus (Sinreplac) able to express the E. coli lacZ gene to compare the efficiency of transduction in one insect, six mammalian cell lines and cultured rat dorsal neurons which apparently express beta-galactosidase over a...

BACKGROUND Skin involvement is frequent in ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphomas. The role of an insect bite as a triggering event has been postulated but not well documented. DESIGN AND METHODS We retrospectively investigated five cases of ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma who presented with skin lesions occurring after an insect bite. Biopsies were immunostained with antibo...