Although it is well-established that the macrophage M1 to M2 transition plays a role in tumor progression, the molecular basis for this process remains incompletely understood. Herein, we demonstrate that the small GTPase, Rac2 controls macrophage M1 to M2 differentiation and the metastatic phenotype in vivo. Using a genetic approach, combined with syngeneic and orthotopic tumor models we demon...

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori have different virulence factors which are associated with several gastroduodenal diseases; however, this association is variable in different geographical regions. Data of genotypes of Iranian H. pylori isolates are few. OBJECTIVES The aim of the current study was to investigate the cagA/vacA genotypes of Helicobacter pylori isolates and determine the relations...

BACKGROUND Ralp3 is a transcriptional regulator present in a serotype specific fashion on the chromosome of the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococci, GAS). In serotypes harbouring the ralp3 gene either positive or negative effects on important metabolic and virulence genes involved in colonization and immune evasion in the human host were observed. A previous study reveal...

Metchinikoff’s recognition that macrophages from infected animals had elevated bacterial killing ability 120 years ago laid the foundation for the concept of macrophage activation. Interferon γ (IFNγ) produced by lymphocytes was identified as the first factor that activated resting macrophages to enhance phagocytic activity and production of proinflammatory cytokines. This state became known as...

Influenza virus RNA segment 7 generates three poly(A)+ RNAs, M1 mRNA, M2 mRNA and mRNA3, the last of which has almost no coding capacity; M2 mRNA and mRNA3 derive from M1 mRNA by removal of a single intron. The kinetics of M1 and M2 mRNA accumulation in the cytoplasm of productively infected cells were studied by means of a quantitative RNA protection assay; the ratio of M2 mRNA to M1 mRNA incr...

Recent epidemiologic studies have suggested that genetic polymorphisms in the cytochrome P-450 1A1 gene (CYP1A1) may affect the relation between environmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and breast cancer risk. The authors report results from a case-control study evaluating the potential effect of gene-environment interaction between CYP1A1 and serum PCB levels on breast cancer...

Macrophages in a tumor microenvironment have been characterized as M1- and M2-polarized subtypes. Here, we discovered the different macrophages' impacts on lung cancer cell A549. The M2a/M2c subtypes promoted A549 invasion and xenograft tumor growth. The M1 subtype suppressed angiogenesis. M1 enhanced the sensitivity of A549 to cisplatin and decreased the tube formation activity and cell viabil...

ECRG4 has been shown to be a candidate tumor suppressor in several tumors, but its role in head and neck cancer remains poorly understood. In the present study, the effect of ECRG4 on head and neck cancer was investigated in vitro and in vivo. pFLAG-CMV-2-ECRG4 was stably transfected into squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) M2 cell lines to overexpress the ECRG4 gene. Real-time...

In Brucella abortus, two small RNAs (sRNAs), AbcR1 and AbcR2, are responsible for regulating transcripts encoding ABC-type transport systems. AbcR1 and AbcR2 are required for Brucella virulence, as a double chromosomal deletion of both sRNAs results in attenuation in mice. Although these sRNAs are responsible for targeting transcripts for degradation, the mechanism utilized by the AbcR sRNAs to...