Cell adhesion molecules are well characterized for mediating synapse initiation, specification, differentiation, and maturation, yet their contribution to directing dendritic arborization during early brain circuit formation remains unclear. Using two-photon time-lapse imaging of growing neurons within intact and awake embryonic Xenopus brain, we examine roles of β-neurexin (NRX) and neuroligin...

Perpetuation of immune deficiency throughout tumor development is, to a great degree, the result of impairment of dendritic cell function by products secreted by tumors. They include cytokines, non-tumor-specific molecules (gangliosides, prostanoids, nitric oxide, etc.) and tumor-(specific) antigens (MUC-1, PSA, Her-2 neu). They may engender a distortion of dendritic cell development, block den...

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells. Upon maturation, DCs express costimulatory molecules and migrate to lymph nodes present antigens T The actin cytoskeleton plays key roles in multiple aspects of DC functions. However, little is known about mechanisms identities actin-binding proteins that control maturation maturation-associated functional changes. Tropomodulin...

objective: it is believed that monocyte isolation methods and maturation factors affect the phenotypic and functional characteristics of resultant dendritic cells (dc). in the present study, we compared two monocyte isolation methods, including plastic adherence-dendritic cells (adh-dc) and magnetic activated cell sorting- dendritic cells (macs-dc), and their effects on phagocytic activity of d...

Uric acid released from dying cells has been shown recently to act as a danger signal for the immune system, stimulating dendritic cell maturation and enhancing T-cell responses to foreign antigens. Stimulation of dendritic cell maturation by uric acid has been proposed as a mechanism by which the immune system could generate responses against tumors. We show here that uric acid levels are elev...

Follicular dendritic cell networks are said to be pivotal to both the formation of germinal centers (GCs) and their functions in generating antigen-specific antibody affinity maturation and B cell memory. We report that lymphotoxin beta-deficient mice form GC cell clusters in the gross anatomical location expected of GCs, despite the complete absence of follicular dendritic cell networks. Furth...

Dendritic cells and their precursors express PPAR-gamma, whose stimulation has inhibitory effects on the maturation and function of dendritic cells in vivo. Dendritic cells can differentiate in vitro from CD133+ progenitors; the influence of PPAR-gamma stimulation on this process is unknown. We have addressed the effect of PPAR-gamma agonist rosiglitazone, at a concentration as used in clinics,...