Volume 17 Issue 9, September 2016

Adaptations in the mitochondrial electron-transport chain mediate antibacterial responses in macrophages.

At least five recent papers have shown an unexpected antigenic relationship between Zika and dengue viruses, with potential implications for vaccines and therapeutics.

Open conformers of the non-classical and monomorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule HLA-F are ligands for the activating receptor KIR3DS1 and trigger the activation of natural killer (NK) cells.

In this Review, Aifantis and colleagues describe recent insights into the epigenetic dysregulation of malignant blood stem cell differentiation.

There is now a major effort to fully exploit the anti-tumor properties of NK cells in the clinic. In this Review, Smyth and colleagues detail recent advances in NK cell–based immunotherapies and discuss the advantages and limitations of these strategies.

Garaude and colleagues show that innate immunological sensing of live bacteria by macrophages elicits transient adaptations to the electron-transport chain of mitochondria.

Variants of the human gene C13orf31 (LACC1) are associated with various disease risks. Kaser and colleagues identify a role for the protein encoded (called ‘FAMIN’) in regulating macrophage fatty-acid oxidation and lipogenesis.

DNA viruses activate antiviral immune responses dependent on the adaptor STING. Shu and colleagues identify iRhom2 as a positive regulator that stabilizes STING and facilitates its vesicular trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum to perinuclear microsomes after activation.

The activating NK cell receptor KIR3DS1 has been linked to the outcome of various human diseases, yet a ligand that would account for its biological effects has remained unknown. Altfeld and colleagues establish HLA-F as a ligand of KIR3DS1, which helps to explain the widespread influence of this receptor in disease.

The kinase WNK1 is part of a pathway that controls the uptake of ions into kidney cells. Tybulewicz and colleagues show that a related pathway involving WNK1 also operates in T cells, in which it negatively regulates adhesion and positively regulates migration.

Autoimmunity can often be associated with prior infection. Blander and colleagues demonstrate a mechanism by which self-tolerance can be broken after the presentation of antigens derived from bacteria-infected apoptotic cells.

Regulatory T cells (T_reg cells) have essential roles in maintaining immunohomeostasis. Palmer and colleagues identify two distinct subsets of T_reg cells with differing degrees of self-reactivity and regulatory function.

Infection with Zika virus has occurred in areas previously exposed to dengue virus, a closely related flavivirus. Screaton and colleagues find that monoclonal antibodies to dengue virus cross-react with Zika virus and enhance infection.

Under normal conditions, IgE⁺ memory B cells and IgE serum antibody are extremely scarce. Kitamura and colleagues demonstrate that the IgE B cell receptor has unique signaling properties that autonomously control IgE⁺ B cell numbers.

The contribution of stromal cells to the microenvironment of tumor-draining lymph nodes is poorly characterized. By comparative transcriptional analysis, Shields and colleagues find that tumors induce the stromal reprogramming of key pathways that affect the structure and function of such lymph nodes.