The dissociable neural subsystems theory proposes that left-hemisphere (LH) performance is dominated by a viewpoint-invariant (VI) recognition subsystem, whereas right-hemisphere (RH) performance is dominated by a viewpoint-dependent (VD) subsystem (Marsolek, 1999). Studies supporting this theory have used familiar objects and, therefore, may have been confounded by characteristics beyond perce...

Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells expressing a semi-invariant Vα14 TCR recognize self and foreign lipid Ags when presented by the nonclassical MHCI homolog CD1d. Whereas the majority of known iNKT cell Ags are characterized by the presence of a single α-linked sugar, mammalian self Ags are β-linked glycosphingolipids, posing the interesting question of how the semi-invariant TCR can bind to such struc...

CD1d-restricted invariant NKT (iNKT) cells are a group of innate-like regulatory T cells that recognize lipid antigens. Both mouse modeling experiments and human clinical studies have suggested a key role for iNKT cells in anti-HBV immunity and these potent T cells can be explored as a novel therapeutic target for anti-HBV treatment. We aim to humanize mice in the CD1d/iNKT cell lipid presentat...

1-Aminophytosphingosine and 6-aminogalactosyl phytosphingosine were prepared in 61% and 40% yield libraries with 44 carboxylic acids showed that a 4-butylbenzoic acid-derived product exe, respectively. Glycosylation using benzoyl-protected lipid resulted in better a-selectivity for ceramide analogs, but the yield was less than that obtained with benzyl moieties. Screening the amide rted less cy...

Life-threatening invasive fungal diseases (IFD) are increasing in incidence, especially immunocompromised patients and successful resolution of IFD requires a variety different immune cells. With the limited repertoire available antifungal drugs there is need for more effective therapeutic strategies. This review interrogates evidence on human response to main pathogens driving IFD, with focus ...

background: pregnancy is one of the changer agents for defensive cells, however it is unknown the effect of the ethanolic extract of the salvia officinalis on the uterine natural killer cells population in the pregnant mice that needs to be investigated. objective: the aim of this study was to determine the effect of the ethanolic extract of the salvia officinalis on the uterine natural killer ...

CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes give rise to both conventional TCRαβ+ T cells and invariant natural killer (iNKT cells), but these two kinds of display different characteristics. The molecular mechanism underlying iNKT cell lineage development function acquisition remain be elucidated. We show that the loss chromatin assembly factor 1B (CHAF1b) maintains normal severely impairs early cells....

T-cell receptor (TCR) signal strength determines selection and lineage fate at the CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive stage of intrathymic T-cell development. Members of the miR-181 family constitute the most abundantly expressed microRNA at this stage of T-cell development. Here we show that deletion of miR-181a/b-1 reduced the responsiveness of double-positive thymocytes to TCR signals and virtuall...

The organization of the thymus into distinct cortical and medullary regions enables it to control the step-wise migration and development of immature T-cell precursors. Such a process provides access to specialized cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells at defined stages of maturation, ensuring the generation of self-tolerant and MHC-restricted conventional CD4(+) and CD8(+) αβ T cells....

Information regarding the functional role of the innate immune T cell, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, in the pathophysiology of liver diseases continues to emerge. Results from animal studies suggest that iNKT cells can have divergent roles by specifically promoting the development of proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory responses in liver diseases. In this themes article, I discuss t...