The ability of dendritic cells (DC) to initiate immune responses or induce immune tolerance is strictly dependent on their maturation state. TNF-alpha plays a pivotal role in the differentiation and maturation of DC. Blockade of TNF-alpha action may arrest DC in an immature state, prolonging their window of tolerogenic opportunity. Immature DC (imDC) were transfected with recombinant adenovirus...

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 355 PROMOTER ST UCTURE ......................................................................... 356 THE REGULATION F E~TM TRANSCRIPTION I ITIATION ............................ 360 Negative Regulation of Transcription Initiation ............................................. 361 Positive Regulation...

We considered, in general form for a 22 full factorial experiment, linear approximations of the organism's dose-response relationship for some factors operating alone and modification of this relationship by another factor operating in the background. A typological classification of such modifications is suggested. An analysis of the outcomes obtained in a number of subchronic animal experiment...

Although historically viewed as purely harmful, recent evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS) function as important physiological regulators of intracellular signaling pathways. The specific effects of ROS are modulated in large part through the covalent modification of specific cysteine residues found within redox-sensitive target proteins. Oxidation of these specific and reactiv...

In response to genotoxic stress, the PIDD protein promotes apoptosis downstream of the tumor-suppressor protein p53. In this issue of Cell, Janssens et al. (2005) demonstrate that, in response to such stress, PIDD forms a nuclear complex that enhances sumoylation of NEMO. This modification is important for the activation of the antiapoptotic transcription factor NF-kappaB.