CCR5 is a receptor for Staphylococcus aureus leukotoxin ED

Alonzo III, F. et al. Nature doi:10.1038/nature11724 (13 December 2012)

The authors identify C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) as a cellular receptor for the Staphylococcus aureus leukotoxin ED (LukED), showing that it is needed for killing of cells by this toxin. In addition, they used CCR5 antagonists, such as the HIV drug maraviroc, to block LukED-dependent killing.

A role for Schwann cell-derived neuregulin-1 in remyelination

Stassart, R.M. et al. Nat. Neurosci. doi:10.1038/nn.3281 (9 December 2012)

The authors found that peripheral nerve remyelination after injury is more efficient in mice overexpressing neuregulin-1 (NRG1) type III or type I than in wild-type mice. Nerve injury induced the expression of NRG1 type I in Schwann cells. Moreover, mice lacking Nrg1 in Schwann cells showed normal primary myelination but impaired remyelination as they aged, suggesting a key role for NRG1 in myelination control.

Large-scale association analysis identifies new risk loci for coronary artery disease

The CARDIoGRAMplusC4D Consortium. Nat. Genet. doi:10.1038/ng.2480 (2 December 2012)

The researchers performed a case-control association analysis for coronary artery disease (CAD), allowing them to identify 15 new risk loci and taking the total number of susceptibility loci for this disease to 46. They also carried out a network analysis of candidate genes involved in CAD, highlighting the importance of pathways linked to lipid metabolism and inflammation.

Nitric oxide controls the immunopathology of tuberculosis by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent processing of IL-1β

Mishra, B.B. et al. Nat. Immunol. doi:10.1038/ni.2474 (18 November 2012)

Using a mouse model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in which replication of the bacterium was controlled exogenously, the authors found that nitric oxide deactivated the assembly of the NLRP3 inflammasome. They suggest this mechanism is important for tempering detrimental innate inflammatory responses during persistent infection.