Transdifferentiation Requires iNOS Activation

Transdifferentiation Requires iNOS Activation

Induction of iNOS by Chlamydophila pneumoniae requires MyD88-dependent activation of JNK.

Innate immune cells produce NO via inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in response to certain infections or upon stimulation with cytokines such as IFN-gamma and TNF. NO plays an important role in host defense against intracellular bacteria including Chlamydophila pneumoniae as a result of its microbicidal activity. In MyD88-deficient mice, which succumb to C. pneumoniae infection, iNOS induction is i...

T cell activation requires force generation

Triggering of the T cell receptor (TCR) integrates both binding kinetics and mechanical forces. To understand the contribution of the T cell cytoskeleton to these forces, we triggered T cells using a novel application of atomic force microscopy (AFM). We presented antigenic stimulation using the AFM cantilever while simultaneously imaging with optical microscopy and measuring forces on the cant...

Polarity establishment requires localized activation of Cdc42

Establishment of cell polarity in animal and fungal cells involves localization of the conserved Rho-family guanosine triphosphatase, Cdc42, to the cortical region destined to become the "front" of the cell. The high local concentration of active Cdc42 promotes cytoskeletal polarization through various effectors. Cdc42 accumulation at the front is thought to involve positive feedback, and studi...

Kinetic barriers in transdifferentiation.

Feature to: Jiang H. et al. Cell cycle and p53 gate the direct conversion of human fibroblasts to 2 The unidirectional and deterministic development of a zygote to trillions of cells that constitute a human produces the impression that it is an irreversible process, perhaps driven by reduction in free energy (G), as postulated in the Waddington Model, the prevailing doctrine in developmental b...