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Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2 cells) contribute to early immune responses directed against helminths and fungi. Paul and colleagues identify distinct inflammatory IL-25-responsive and natural IL-33-responsive ILC2 cells in lung tissues.
The chemoattractant receptor GPR15 can direct CD4+ T cells to the colon. Habtezion and colleagues show that GATA-3 and Foxp3 exhibit species-specific differences in promoting GPR15 expression and thereby influences homing of CD4+ effector and regulatory T cells.
Regulatory T cells can express the classic effector T cell transcription factors T-bet and GATA-3. Zhu and colleagues demonstrate that T-bet and GATA-3 are dynamically expressed in regulatory T cells and are redundantly essential for stabilizing the identity and function of these cells.
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) contribute to lymphoid tissue development and influence immune responses. Locksley and colleagues identify arginase 1–expressing fetal ILC precursors that give rise to multiple ILC subsets and lymphoid tissue–inducer cells.
Dengue virus is an important emerging pathogen, but so far there is no vaccine effective for all serotypes. Screaton and colleagues identify a class of broadly reactive human antibodies focused on an epitope that bridges two virion subunits.
iNKT cells in adipose tissue are anti-inflammatory. Brenner and colleagues show that adipose iNKT cells have a unique transcriptional program, produce IL-2 and IL-10 and lack expression of the transcription factor PLZF.
Follicular helper and follicular regulatory T cells require the transcription factor Bcl-6 for differentiation. Cantor and colleagues show that intracellular osteopontin protects Bcl-6 from degradation downstream of signaling via the receptor ICOS in both subsets of T cells.
Thymic selection produces a diverse T cell repertoire. Jameson and colleagues demonstrate intrinsic differences in the ability of naive CD8+ T cells to respond to foreign antigen, such that cells with higher self-reactivity dominate the immune response.
Infection with influenza virus can result in bacterial superinfection, but the mechanisms underlying this process are unclear. Bergthaler and colleagues demonstrate that influenza virus upregulates the methyltransferase Setdb2, which attenuates select proinflammatory gene expression and heightens susceptibility to bacterial infection.
The role of TLRs in CD4+ T cells is poorly understood. Hafler and colleagues demonstrate that ligation of TLR7 initiates an anergic program in CD4+ T cells and might have implications for HIV infection.
miRNAs 'tune' gene expression to orchestrate cell activity. Ansel and colleagues show that miR-19 modulates TH2 cytokine production by targeting TH2-specific as well as general T cell–activation pathways.
Autophagy has essential roles in cellular energy mobilization and homeostasis, but its role in T cell memory formation is remains poorly understood. Ahmed and colleagues demonstrate that autophagy is critical for the survival of cytotoxic memory cells.
Lymph nodes expand after an inflammatory challenge to accommodate their increased cellularity. Turley and colleagues show that fibroblastic reticular cells regulate this expansion process through the interaction of podoplanin with its receptor CLEC-2 expressed on incoming dendritic cells.
The role of the repressors Bach1 and Bach2 in early B cell development is unclear. Igarashi and colleagues have now found these Bach factors directly repress various myeloid genes in common lymphoid progenitors to restrict a B cell lineage fate.
People with loss of function of MyD88 or IRAK4 have a surprisingly limited altered phenotype. Chaussabel and colleagues use a systems approach to identify defined signaling modules that are altered in such people.
Activated CD8+ T cells must 'choose' between the terminal effector cell fate or the memory precursor cell fate. Amsen and colleagues find that the cell surface receptor Notch controls this 'choice'.
The mechanisms by which viruses activate the NLRP3 inflammasome remain unclear. Zhou and colleagues show that RNA viruses initiate a RIP1-RIP3 complex that drives mitochondrial damage and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome independently of necrosis.
Type 2 immune responses are often associated with the expression of chitinase-like Ym proteins, but their role is unclear. Allen and colleagues show that Ym1 and Ym2 act on γδ T cells to increase their expression of IL-17A and enhance the recruitment of neutrophils.
Myeloid cells show great phenotypic and functional diversity. Newell and colleagues use mass cytometry with a panel of 38 mouse myeloid markers to describe myeloid cell phenotypic diversity in unprecedented depth within eight different tissues.
Mutations in the RNA-binding protein roquin-1 are known to result in humoral autoimmunity. Heissmeyer and colleagues show that MALT1 cleavage of roquin and regnase-1 downstream of TCR signaling releases cooperatively repressed targets to promote TH17 cell differentiation