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For 50 years, immunologists have been meeting each winter in California to discuss new findings and theories in immunology. A recurring theme this year was the continuous conversation between the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. To mark the 50th anniversary of this meeting, some of the speakers took a look back half a century to see how far immunologists have come.
The transcription factor Foxp1 helps maintain the quiescence of naive T cells by inhibiting IL-7Rα expression and diminishing signaling by the kinase Erk.
The transcription factor BATF directly regulates key components of the formation and function of follicular helper T cells and antibody class switching in B cells.
Identification of the pathogenic cytokines that underlie the IL-23-dependent disease progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis has proven elusive. Evidence now points to GM-CSF.
B cell generation is disturbed in four newly identified mouse mutants bearing X-linked mutations in the gene encoding the ATPase ATP11C. These findings suggest that the distribution of membrane phospholipids confers a yet-to-be delineated developmental signal.
The interaction between hematopoietic stem cells and their niche is critical for the lifelong maintenance of the blood system. New research shows that crosstalk between stromal components of the niche mediates secretion of the chemokine CXCL12.
The inflammasome has been linked to metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Data now suggest that the crosstalk between the inflammasome and autophagy critically mediates cytoplasmic receptor NLRP3–dependent activation of the inflammasome by the saturated fatty acids contained in a high-fat diet.
In addition to their classical function in antigen presentation and their lesser known ability to act as signal transducers, major histocompatibility complex class II molecules are now shown to promote Toll-like receptor signaling. This intriguing role requires intracellular association with the kinase Btk and the costimulatory molecule CD40.
The development and function of TCRαβ+CD8αα+ intraepithelial lymphocytes remain poorly understood. These cells are now shown to require transforming growth factor-β for development and proper expression of characteristic surface homodimers of CD8α.
Analysis of the serine-threonine phosphoproteome leads to the intriguing find that phosphorylation of the histone deacetylase HDAC7 is key to cytotoxic T lymphocyte function.