Mast cells articles from across Nature Portfolio

Mast cells serve as sentinels for mucosal infection. This study shows how mast cells can differentially detect extracellular and invasive gut bacteria, and in response tune their cytokine production to signal different levels of danger.

Mast cells have been shown to be involved with rheumatoid arthritis, but the mechanisms are not clear. Here using mouse models and making association with human patients, the authors show mast cells have an important function in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, involving regulation of T cell responses and release of mast cell mediators.

Mast cells are activated and proliferate during allergic reactions which can involve mast cell specific proteins. Here the authors show that mast cell-expressed membrane protein1 (MCEMP1) is an adaptor for KIT to promote SCF mediated mast cell proliferation and lack of MCEMP1 reduces inflammation in mouse asthma models.

The blood vessel wall is a complex multi-layered structure, yet upon injury or infection, neutrophil leukocytes are rapidly migrating from the blood stream to the affected tissues, by a process termed diapedesis. Authors here show that the final steps of diapedesis through the outer pericyte layer is regulated by perivascular mast cells via IL-17A production.

Granulosomes are novel complexes that feature an unexpected partnership between the tetraspanin CD63 and the inflammasome proteins NLRP3 and ASC. Granulosomes assemble on mast cell granules to propel them along microtubules to the plasma membrane for degranulation.

IgE-mediated activation of mast cells is linked to activation of the warm thermoregulatory neural circuit in mice.

A recent study in Immunity describes that mast cells can degranulate directly into the bloodstream to prime neutrophils for rapid extravasation at sites of tissue inflammation.

A recent study in Science describes that maternal allergen-specific IgE can cross the placenta to sensitize fetal mast cells in mice and predispose to neonatal allergy.

A new report demonstrates that IgE glycosylation, and specifically sialylation, can act as a powerful regulator of allergic responses.