Smoking is a common addiction and a leading cause of disease. Chronic nicotine exposure is known to activate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in immune cells. We demonstrate a novel role for a4 nAChRs in the effect of nicotine on T-cell proliferation and immunity. Using cell-based sorting and proteomic analysis we define an a4 nAChR expressing helper T-cell population (a4CD3CD4) and s...

In 1922 the Russian geologist Vladimir Vernadsky coined the term “biogeochemistry” in recognition of the intimate connections that exist between living organisms and the physical components of the Earth. This insight came after many failed attempts to understand the chemical makeup of the Earth’s atmosphere and crust through strictly geochemical processes, ignoring the influence of element inte...

Cytosine methylation, a common form of DNA modification that antagonizes transcription, is found at transposons and repeats in vertebrates, plants and fungi. Here we have mapped DNA methylation in the entire Arabidopsis thaliana genome at high resolution. DNA methylation covers transposons and is present within a large fraction of A. thaliana genes. Methylation within genes is conspicuously bia...

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an intercellular signalling mechanism that is present in the islets of Langerhans and plays a role in the modulation of insulin secretion and expansion of the β-cell mass. The downstream signalling pathways mediating these effects are poorly understood. Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signalling is a key intracellular pathway involved in ener...

The role of the food industry (retailers, manufacturers and food service) in helping consumers eat healthily and sustainably has been receiving considerable attention in recent years. This paper focuses on the challenges facing the food industry and the role of food reformulation in meeting these challenges, through the lens of a public health nutritionist. Attention has been heightened by the ...

Immunomodulatory actions of vitamin D have been recognised for over a quarter of a century, but it is only in the last few years that the significance of this to normal human physiology has become apparent. Two key factors have underpinned this revised perspective. Firstly, there are increasing data linking vitamin insufficiency with prevalent immune disorders. Improved awareness of low circula...

The expressions and activities of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters (DMETs) are altered during infection and inflammation. Inflammatory responses in the liver are mediated primarily by Toll-like receptor (TLR)-signaling, which involves recruitment of Toll/interleukin (IL)-1 receptor (TIR) domain containing adaptor protein (TIRAP) and TIR domain containing adaptor inducing inter...