In wild birds, relatively little is known about intra- or interspecific variation in immunological capabilities, and even less is known about the effects of stress on immune function. Immunological assays adaptable to field settings and suitable for a wide variety of taxa will prove most useful for addressing these issues. We describe a novel application of an in vitro technique that measures t...

NK cells use surface NK receptors to discriminate self from non-self. The NK receptor ligand-binding domain (NKD) has been considered the sole regulator of ligand binding. Using a prototypic murine NK receptor, Ly49A, we show that the membrane proximal nonligand binding ecto-domain (the stalk region) is critical to ligand binding and signaling. The stalk region is required for receptor binding ...

mycophenolate mofetil (mmf) has been registered for use in australia since 1997 for prophylaxis of solid organ allograft rejection. mmf is now increasingly used for indications outside solid organ allograft rejection, often with limited supporting efficacy data. the purpose of this audit was to examine the patterns of use, reported side effects and cost impact of the drug in the clinical and im...

The development of a microtiter solid-phase radioimmunoassay for the detection of Vibrio cholerae enterotoxin and heat-labile Escherichia coli enterotoxin is described. The test is based on the immunological similarity between V. cholerae toxin and E. coli heat-labile toxin. The assay is easy to perform, quantitative, and at least as sensitive and specific as the Y-1 adrenal cell system.

Lymphocytes have been isolated from human rectal biopsies in numbers sufficient for microassay procedures. No antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxic (ADCC) activity could be detected in normal or inflamed human gut mucosa, using two assay systems which detect predominantly K cell activity. The tissue localisation and circulation characteristics of K cells require definition before establish...

Productive T cell recognition of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is normally accompanied by the formation of a cell-cell contact called the "immunological synapse." Our understanding of the steps leading up to this formation has been limited by the absence of tools for analyzing 3D surfaces and surface distributions as they change over time. Here we use a 3D fluorescence quantitation method to ...

The area of contact between a T cell and an antigen-presenting cell (APC) is known as the immunological synapse. Although its exact function is unknown, one model suggests that it allows for T cell receptor (TCR) clustering and for sustained signaling in T cells for many hours. Here we demonstrate that TCR-mediated tyrosine kinase signaling in naïve T cells occurred primarily at the periphery o...

The coordination of T-cell migration and antigen recognition is crucial for an effective immune response. We have proposed that this coordination is achieved by formation of an immunological synapse between the T cell and the antigen-presenting cell (APC). Our view contrasts with the serial encounter model also proposed in this issue of Trends in Immunology, which is based on transient T cell-A...

In recent years, Drosophila melanogaster has become an attractive model organism in which to study the structure and development of the cellular immune components. The emergence of immunological markers greatly accelerated the identification of the immune cells (hemocytes), while the creation of genetic reporter constructs allowed unique insight into the structural organization of hematopoietic...

BACKGROUND Immunological ex vivo assays to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) have great potential but have largely been blood-based and poorly evaluated in active TB. Lung sampling enables combined microbiological and immunological testing and uses higher frequency antigen-specific responses than in blood. METHODS A prospective evaluation was undertaken of a flow cytometric assay measuring the perce...