Research Highlights in 2012

The bitter taste receptor T2R38 regulates antibacterial immune responses in the upper airways.

MYC is required for the formation and maintenance of germinal centres.

Competition for subthreshold ligands may maintain the size and diversity of the peripheral T cell compartment.

PI3Kδ regulates TLR4 signalling by controlling the subcellular localization of TLR4 and TIRAP.

Mechanosensitive ion channels promote inflammasome activation in response to cell swelling.

Polyploid tumour cells trigger an immune response through ER stress.

Distinguishing natural and induced T_Regcells on the basis of neuropilin 1 expression.

Neutrophils releasing NETs remain functional in response to infection.

A highIL2/IFNGmRNA ratio identifies rare tumour-specific T cells that can persist in humans following adoptive transfer.

Inflammatory monocytes activate memory CD8⁺T cells in an antigen-independent manner.

Activated autoimmune T cells acquire a migratory phenotype in the lungs prior to CNS invasion.

MYD88 signalling can have pro- or anti-tumorigenic effects in distinct cancer models.

Lymphotoxin signalling reshapes the intestinal microbiota to promote obesity.

BCR signals during B cell development determine the level of B cell anergy.

Unlicensed natural killer cells are important in the response of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma to treatment with GD2-specific monoclonal antibodies.

HIV-infected CD4⁺T cells have a reduced rate of migration and an elongated morphology, which might represent a strategy for direct cell-to-cell transfer of the virus.

Commensal bacteria in the skin promote local effector T cell responses.

The RIG-I-like receptor LGP2 is a cell-intrinsic regulator of antiviral CD8⁺T cell responses.

Memory CD4⁺T cells use multiple redundant and synergistic mechanisms to mediate protection against influenza A virus.

Chiba and colleagues characterize the role of TIM3 in suppressing innate antitumour immune responses.