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The roles of BATF transcription factors in dendritic cell differentiation are studied, providing evidence for molecular compensation by related family members; compensation is based on the interaction of the BATF leucine zipper domains with IRF factors to mediate cooperative gene activation.

Rohm et al. show that small extracellular vesicles from adipose tissue macrophages from obese rosiglitazone-treated mice ameliorate glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in obese mice, while circumventing the adverse effects of rosiglitazone.

Some enhancers can limit their activities to specific spatial–temporal domains by enhancer suboptimization. Ou et al. find that classical dendritic cell (cDC) development depends on Irf8 suboptimization, which prevents unwanted IRF8 autoactivation in developing cDC2s while maximizing IRF8 expression in developed cDC1s.

The pleiotropic transcription factor IRF4 is shown to regulate CD4⁺ T-cell differentiation and T_H17 function through cooperative binding interactions with BATF and JUN family proteins via AP1–IRF4 composite elements (AICEs).

Boyle et al. show that ROCK upregulates PERK signalling in epithelia of breast cancer, thereby enhancing recruitment and function of cancer-associated fibroblasts through CRELD2 to promote tumourigenesis.

This study presents a predictive equation for total energy expenditure derived from doubly labelled water measurements. Applying this equation to two large datasets (the National Diet and Nutrition Survey and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) shows that the misreporting of total energy intake is greater than 50%, with important implications for macronutrient availability.

Classical type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) are essential for activation of antiviral and anticancer T cell responses. Murphy and colleagues describe a genetic circuit that involves the transcription factors Nfil3, Id2 and Zeb2. This circuit imposes a molecular switch that allows cDC1 specification and development.

The transcription factor IRF8 is essential for classical type 1 dendritic cell (cDC1) development. Murphy and colleagues investigate in detail the molecular control of cDC1 fate specification by systematically unpicking the IRF8 enhancer regions.

CTLA-4-deficient mice develop a lethal multiorgan lymphoproliferative disorder. Murphy and colleagues definitively demonstrate that at least some of the pathogenic T cells that drive this disorder show reactivity to nonlymphoid tissue self antigens.

IL-23 is needed to protect mucosal surfaces from bacterial pathogens. Murphy and colleagues identify a Notch-2-dependent CD11b⁺ dendritic cell population that produces IL-23 and is required for survival after infection with Citrobacter.

Additive based UO₂ nuclear fuels, which incorporate small amounts of metal oxides such as chromia (Cr₂O₃), are an important class of accident tolerant fuels. Here authors determine the structural-redox mechanism for Cr lattice incorporation into UO₂ nuclear fuels.

The PU.1-related transcription factor Spi-C controls the development of a tissue macrophage subset in the spleen involved in the removal of red blood cells. Spi-C deficient mice fail to phagocytose trapped red blood cells.

The transcription factors Batf3 and IRF8 are required for the development of CD8α⁺ conventional dendritic cells (cDCs). Murphy and colleagues characterize the Batf3-IRF8 interactions that allow differentiation toward CD8α⁺ cDCs.

Conventional type 1 dendritic cells perform antigen processing and priming of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells against tumour antigens, orchestrating their cross-talk to effect anti-tumour immunity.

Murphy and colleagues show that the transcription-factor complex BATF-IRF4, which recognizes AICE motifs within gene enhancers, is sensitive to TCR signaling strength and identify distinct gene targets that respond to graded doses of TCR stimulation.

The transcription factor NFIL3 acts antagonistically to C/EBP proteins by binding the Zeb2 enhancer to prevent Zeb2 expression and the development of the conventional type 2 dendritic cell lineage.

The transcription factor BATF is known to control switched antibody responses. Murphy and colleagues show that BATF functions at multiple hierarchical levels in follicular helper T cells and B cells to regulate these responses.

T_H17 cells comprise a subset of CD4⁺ T cells that coordinate the inflammatory response in host defence but are pathogenic in autoimmunity. Here, the AP-1 transcription factor BATF is shown to have a critical role in T_H17 cell differentiation, with Batf^−/− mice displaying a defect in T_H17 differentiation and resistance to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

CD40 is typically understood as a costimulatory molecule. Here, the authors show CD4⁺ T cell-induced CD40 signaling in conventional type 1 dendritic cells results in complicated gene expression that can enhance CD8⁺ T cell priming by various underappreciated and independent mechanisms.

L-Myc, a paralogue of the proto-oncogene c-Myc, is shown to regulate dendritic cell homeostasis and functionality; unlike c-Myc, L-Myc is not repressed by interferons and its expression allows for optimal dendritic cell proliferation and T-cell priming in the presence of inflammation.

Low total energy expenditure (TEE) has been a hypothesized risk factor for weight gain, but longitudinal repeatability of TEE is incompletely understood. Here the authors report that TEE is repeatable for adults, but not for children, and increases in TEE (adjusted for fat-free mass, fat mass, age and sex) are not associated with body composition changes in short-term longitudinal analyses.

T cells that mediate neuroinflammation in EAE, a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, act through their production of cytokines. Here, the authors show that the transcription factor Bhlhe40 regulates the expression of GM-CSF and IL-10 by autoreactive T cells and is crucial for EAE induction.

In this study, Aggarwal and colleagues perform prospective sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 isolates derived from asymptomatic student screening and symptomatic testing of students and staff at the University of Cambridge. They identify important factors that contributed to within university transmission and onward spread into the wider community.

The transcription factors BATF (basic leucine zipper transcription factor ATF-like), BATF2 and BATF3 have unique positive transcriptional activities in the development and the function of dendritic cells, B cells and T cells, which are mediated through molecular interactions with interferon-regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) and IRF8.

Using a database of doubly labelled water energy expenditure measurements spanning more than 30 years, Speakman and colleagues show that total energy expenditure in humans has declined over time, while adjusted physical activity energy expenditure has increased over time.