Immunology articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Current experimental monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for Ebola virus (EBOV) post-exposure immunotherapy are ineffective against Sudan (SUDV) or Marburg virus (MARV). Here, authors develop cocktails of mAbs that protect nonhuman primates against EBOV, SUDV, and MARV infection when given four days post infection.

    • Jennifer M. Brannan
    • , Shihua He
    •  & M. Javad Aman

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Urolithins are microbial metabolites derived from food polyphenols. Here, Singh et al. show that urolithin A and a synthetic analogue enhance gut barrier function via Nrf2-dependent pathways and mitigate inflammation and colitis in mice, highlighting a potential application for inflammatory bowel diseases.

    • Rajbir Singh
    • , Sandeep Chandrashekharappa
    •  & Venkatakrishna R. Jala

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Membrane-Proximal External Region (MPER) of the HIV Env gp41 subunit is a target for broadly neutralizing antibodies. Here, the authors apply super-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy on single virions and provide insights into how the MPER epitope is recognized.

    • Pablo Carravilla
    • , Jakub Chojnacki
    •  & José L. Nieva

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The potential links between infections and neurodegenerative disorders are unclear. Here, Wu et al. present a mouse model of low-grade candidemia characterized by highly localized cerebritis, accumulation of amyloid precursor protein and beta peptides, and mild memory impairment that resolves with fungal clearance.

    • Yifan Wu
    • , Shuqi Du
    •  & David B. Corry

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Protective antibody responses depend critically on proper B cell development and differentiation at multiple stages. Here the authors show that a protein arginine methyltransferase, Prmt5 uses multiples pathways to prevent death of immature B cells, yet modulates, in p53-independent manners, the survival and differentiation of mature B cells.

    • Ludivine C. Litzler
    • , Astrid Zahn
    •  & Javier M. Di Noia

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The role of innate T cell subsets in the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis (SpA) is not well understood. Here, the authors examine the role of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) and γδ-T cells in SpA and show that disease-derived iNKT and γδ-T cells have unique and Th17-skewed phenotype and gene expression profiles within inflamed joints.

    • Koen Venken
    • , Peggy Jacques
    •  & Dirk Elewaut

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Tr1 cells are considered an immunosuppressive CD4 T cell population producing IL-10. Here the authors show that IL-10 is insufficient for Tr1 immunosuppression, define surface markers and transcriptional program of the immunosuppressive subset within Tr1, and reveal its deficiency in patients with IBD.

    • Leonie Brockmann
    • , Shiwa Soukou
    •  & Samuel Huber

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mutations within immunological epitope containing regions of influenza A virus can impair the established immune response between influenza strains and could impact rational vaccine design. Here Grant et al. examine the presence, structural impact and cross reactivity of two human immunodominant influenza epitope variants.

    • Emma J. Grant
    • , Tracy M. Josephs
    •  & Katherine Kedzierska

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ezh2 is an histone methyltransferase that catalyzes H3K27me3. Here the authors show that Ezh2 promotes T follicular helper (TFH) differentiation and helper activity, by cooperating with Tcf1 to activate Bcl6 transcription and epigenetically repressing p19Arf, an antagonist of Bcl6 function and TFH cell survival.

    • Fengyin Li
    • , Zhouhao Zeng
    •  & Hai-Hui Xue

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Secreted cytokine decoy receptors encoded by viruses can act as potent immune evasion proteins modulating antiviral immunity. Here Hernaez et al. show that cell surface binding is required for efficient evasion of the host response by a secreted virus encoded type I IFN decoy receptor of vaccinia and ectromelia virus using an in vivo model of infection.

    • Bruno Hernáez
    • , Juan Manuel Alonso-Lobo
    •  & Antonio Alcamí

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The potential impact of neonicotinoid field exposure on bumblebee microbiota remains unclear. In a landscape—scale study, Wintermantel et al. show that whilst exposure to clothianidin impacts Bombus terrestris performance, it does not affect levels of gut bacteria, viruses or intracellular parasites.

    • Dimitry Wintermantel
    • , Barbara Locke
    •  & Joachim R. de Miranda

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) is essential in the response to mycobacterial infection, yet NOS signalling can occur through NO-dependent or NO-independent pathways. Here the authors show macrophage Gch1 and tetrahydrobiopterin mediate NO-independent control of Mycobacterial infection.

    • Eileen McNeill
    • , Elena Stylianou
    •  & Keith M. Channon

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Recruitment of myeloid cells can be regulated by integrin CD11b. Here the authors show that in the tumor microenvironment, CD11b is not essential for recruitment of myeloid cells but rather induces macrophage anti-tumorigenic polarization via stimulating let7a and NFκB signaling and that pharmacological activation of CD11b enhances survival in mouse models of cancer.

    • Michael C. Schmid
    • , Samia Q. Khan
    •  & Judith A. Varner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Regulatory T (Treg) cells are developed in the thymus, and are essential for suppressing detrimental autoimmunity. Here the authors show, using mice with dampened interleukin 2 (IL-2) signaling, that IL-2 helps position the pioneer factor SATB1 to control genome-wide chromatin accessibility to facilitate Treg cell lineage commitment in the thymus.

    • Laurent Chorro
    • , Masako Suzuki
    •  & Grégoire Lauvau

  • Article
    | Open Access

    RIG-I is a critical receptor in the induction of innate immune responses, but mutations in RIG-I can be associated with hyperactive signalling and autoimmune disease. Here Zheng et al. apply HDX-MS approaches to reveal dysregulated checkpoints that result in recognition of self-derived RNA during RIG-I mediated autoimmunity.

    • Jie Zheng
    • , Chen Wang
    •  & Patrick R. Griffin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The promoter variant rs35705950 confers a gain of function to the MUC5B gene and is the dominant risk factor for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Here the authors show that mice overexpressing Muc5b in distal airspaces show impaired mucociliary clearance and increased susceptibility to bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis, and that both characteristics are reduced by treatment with a mucolytic agent.

    • Laura A. Hancock
    • , Corinne E. Hennessy
    •  & David A. Schwartz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mutations in nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain protein 12 (NLRP12) are known to effect inflammatory processes. Here the authors show that NLRP12-mediated proteasomal degradation of NOD2 in monocytes promotes bacterial tolerance and colonisation in a model of enteric infection.

    • Sylvain Normand
    • , Nadine Waldschmitt
    •  & Mathias Chamaillard

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells rapidly enhance cytokine secretion and effector function following activation, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Here the authors show that an endoplasmic reticulum stress sensor, inositol-requiring enzyme 1α, activates the p38 kinase to stabilize cytokine mRNA for enhanced iNKT functions.

    • Srinath Govindarajan
    • , Djoere Gaublomme
    •  & Michael B. Drennan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Regulatory T (Treg) cells need to be differentiated into effector Treg (eTreg), with the transcription factor IRF4 implicated during this process. Here the authors show that an AP-1 family transcription factor, JunB, is expressed in eTreg to promote the IRF4 transcription program, and regulate eTreg homeostasis and function.

    • Shin-ichi Koizumi
    • , Daiki Sasaki
    •  & Hiroki Ishikawa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is unclear if multiple sclerosis (MS) genetic susceptibility can be mediated through perturbations of CNS-intrinsic pathways. Authors show that the rs7665090 risk variant is associated with astrocyte responses that enhance lymphocyte recruitment, and with increased lymphocyte infiltration and lesion sizes in MS lesions.

    • Gerald Ponath
    • , Matthew R. Lincoln
    •  & David Pitt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The complement membrane attack complex (MAC) is a lytic immune pore that kills pathogens. Here the authors use cryoEM to provide a structural and biophysical mechanism for how β-pore forming proteins breach the lipid bilayer, providing pathways to explore pore-formation in molecular detail.

    • Anaïs Menny
    • , Marina Serna
    •  & Doryen Bubeck

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Regulatory T (Treg) cells are important for maintaining immune homeostasis by suppressing immune cell activation, but how the Treg cell pool is maintained is still unclear. Here the authors show that a kinase, Lkb1, operates in dendritic cells (DC) to inhibit Treg cell expansion and immunosuppression via mechanisms involving NF-kB/OX40L signalling.

    • Song Chen
    • , Lijun Fang
    •  & Xiaoming Feng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    During HIV infection, antiviral therapy can suppress viraemia to undetectable levels and hinder the progression towards AIDS; however the HIV-1 provirus can remain in long-lived CD4+ memory T cells. Here the authors show that intronic RNA from the HIV-1 provirus can induce type I interferon and inflammatory cytokine production.

    • Sean Matthew McCauley
    • , Kyusik Kim
    •  & Jeremy Luban

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Dendritic cells (DC) are important regulators of both innate and adaptive immunity, but how the DC pool is homeostatically maintained in vivo is unclear. Here the authors show that combined deficiency of FLT3 and CSF1R impedes the differentiation of spleen macrophages of embryonic origin that are required for DC homeostasis.

    • Gulce Itir Percin
    • , Jiri Eitler
    •  & Claudia Waskow

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Late diagnosis and ineffective treatment of fungal infections lead to high mortality. Here, Rudkin et al. generate anti-Candida human monoclonal antibodies with diagnostic and therapeutic potential, by expressing recombinant antibodies from genes cloned from B cells of patients suffering candidiasis.

    • Fiona M. Rudkin
    • , Ingrida Raziunaite
    •  & Neil A. R. Gow

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Antigen present and presented in the structures of the skin can result in immune responses that elicit tolerance, protective immunity or allergy, depending on the immunological context. Here the authors describe a key role for the hair follicle and CD11b+ dendritic cells in the priming of local antigenic tolerance.

    • Leticia Tordesillas
    • , Daniel Lozano-Ojalvo
    •  & M. Cecilia Berin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The antibody response during infection with dengue virus is a key component involved in the pathogenesis during secondary infection. Here the authors show antibodies targeting NS1 and the epitopes targeted can be associated with disease severity during human infection.

    • Deshni Jayathilaka
    • , Laksiri Gomes
    •  & Gathsaurie Neelika Malavige

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Irradiation depletes brain microglia cells and induces replenishment of the pool by bone marrow (BM)-derived macrophage. Here the authors show, using mouse BM chimera, that BM-derived macrophages establish long-term residency in the brain, but remain distinct from resident microglia in their transcriptome and gene accessibility landscape.

    • Anat Shemer
    • , Jonathan Grozovski
    •  & Steffen Jung

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Silica particles induce intereukin-1 (IL-1) response to contribute to lung inflammation, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here the authors show that silica induces cell death and release of mitochondria and genomic DNA, which are sensed by STING with or without involving cGAS, respectively, for IL-1 induction and lung inflammation.

    • Sulayman Benmerzoug
    • , Stéphanie Rose
    •  & Valerie F. J. Quesniaux

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Autoantibodies are implicated in autoimmunity, but may also be present in healthy individuals. Here the authors find that the autoantibody specificity signatures against various G protein-coupled receptors are associated with multiple parameters, including disease states, to imply a physiological function in maintaining immune homeostasis.

    • Otavio Cabral-Marques
    • , Alexandre Marques
    •  & Gabriela Riemekasten

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is becoming a therapeutic option in several gastrointestinal disorders. Here, Burrello et al. study the immunological mechanisms by which FMT reduces colonic inflammation and initiates the restoration of intestinal homeostasis in a mouse model of colitis.

    • Claudia Burrello
    • , Federica Garavaglia
    •  & Federica Facciotti

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Signaling and transcriptional regulation of MDSC activity remains largely undefined. Here the authors show that monocytic MDSC immunosuppression is triggered by c-FLIP and requires NFκB, implicate this axis in cancer prognosis and response to therapy, and employ ectopic FLIP to treat immunopathology.

    • Alessandra Fiore
    • , Stefano Ugel
    •  & Vincenzo Bronte

  • Article
    | Open Access

    B cells contribute to rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis and bone erosion, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Here the authors show, using mouse models and patient tissues, that B cells directly inhibit osteoblast differentiation by producing CCL3 and TNF, thereby providing a potentially new direction for arthritis therapy.

    • Wen Sun
    • , Nida Meednu
    •  & Lianping Xing

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Neutrophils normally fulfil their metabolic demands by glycolysis and have limited mitochondrial activity. Here the authors show that tumours promote neutrophils adapted to oxidative mitochondria metabolism that function in the glucose-restrained tumour microenvironment to promote tumour growth by maintaining local immune suppression.

    • Christopher M. Rice
    • , Luke C. Davies
    •  & Daniel W. McVicar

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Pulmonary infections constitute a substantial health problem worldwide. Here the authors show that phagocytes similar to primitive macrophages can be generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells, by the use of industry-compatible, stirred-tank bioreactors, and applied as a cell-based therapy to treat acute bacterial infections in mice.

    • Mania Ackermann
    • , Henning Kempf
    •  & Nico Lachmann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are known to promote metastasis in mouse models. Here the authors show plasma redox imbalance caused by albumin oxidation to induce inflammation-independent NETosis and lung metastasis, and albumin oxidation and reduced plasma free thiol to be associated with lung metastasis in a cohort of head and neck cancer patients.

    • Minoru Inoue
    • , Ryota Nakashima
    •  & Scott V. Bratman

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Tumours can escape CD8 T-cell immunity by down-regulating antigen presentation machinery components, such as TAP. Here the authors describe tumour antigenic peptides processed by TAP-independent and -dependent pathways and show in mouse models that these peptides can be exploited to induce antitumor T-cell activity when TAP expression is downregulated.

    • Aurélie Durgeau
    • , Yasemin Virk
    •  & Fathia Mami-Chouaib

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Deposited immune complexes (IC) promote neutrophil recruitment, but the fine tuning of this process is still unclear. Here the authors show that the cis interaction of the IC receptor, FcγRIIA and CD18 integrin, Mac-1, on the neutrophil surface modulates neutrophil adhesion, with FcγRIIA sialylation specifically implicated in this interaction.

    • Gurpanna Saggu
    • , Koshu Okubo
    •  & Tanya N. Mayadas

  • Article
    | Open Access

    During chronic infection CD4+ T cells can progressively acquire IL-10 producing functionality. Here the authors use single cell RNA sequencing to interrogate the IL10 CD4+ T cell compartment in a murine model of chronic infection and identify Il10-producing Tfh involved in promotion of the antiviral humoral immune response.

    • Gang Xin
    • , Ryan Zander
    •  & Weiguo Cui

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Humanized mice are an enabling technology to explore human immunity and disease. Here, Douam et al. provide an in-depth comparison of immune responses to yellow fever vaccine in human vaccinees, conventional and second-generation humanized mice and define a workflow to evaluate and refine these models.

    • Florian Douam
    • , Carly G. K. Ziegler
    •  & Alexander Ploss

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Closely related HLA alleles presenting similar HIV-1 epitopes can be associated with variable clinical outcome. Here the authors report their findings on CD8+ T cell responses to the HIV-1 Gag-p24 TL9 immunodominant epitope in the context of closely related protective and less protective HLA alleles, and their differential effect on viral control

    • Funsho Ogunshola
    • , Gursev Anmole
    •  & Zaza M Ndhlovu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are characterized by extensive extracellular matrix degradation. Here Hadi et al. identify a netrin-1/neogenin-based crosstalk between macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), leading to the secretion of the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-3 by VSMCs and subsequent matrix degradation in AAA lesions.

    • Tarik Hadi
    • , Ludovic Boytard
    •  & Bhama Ramkhelawon

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The pathogen recognition receptors NOD1/2 recognize bacterial cell wall components and signal through their downstream adapter kinase RIP2 via a CARD (Caspase activation and recruitment domain) mediated oligomerization process. Here the authors present the cryo-EM structure of the active RIP2-CARD filament and discuss implications for NOD1/2-RIP2 signalling.

    • Qin Gong
    • , Ziqi Long
    •  & Bin Wu

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