A Mycoplasma fermentans-derived high-molecular-weight material (MDHM) is described which causes differentiation of concanavalin A-stimulated CBA/J or C57BL/6 mouse thymocytes to cytolytic effector T cells (CTLs). The effect of MDHM was inhibited by addition of monoclonal anti-interleukin-6 (IL-6) antibody. It could also be abolished after removal of adherent cells. However, adherent cell-deplet...

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) plays a key role in atopic diseases. It coordinates T-helper cell differentiation to subtype 2, thereby directing defense toward humoral immunity. Together with Interleukin-13, IL-4 further induces immunoglobulin class switch IgE. Antibodies of this type activate mast cells and basophilic eosinophilic granulocytes, which release pro-inflammatory mediators accounting for the...

Rab proteins are small molecular weight GTPases that control vesicular traffic in eucaryotic cells. A subset of Rab proteins, the Rab3 proteins are thought to play an important role in regulated exocytosis of vesicles. In transfected AtT-20 cells expressing wild-type Rab3D, we find that a fraction of the protein is associated with dense core granules. In the same cells, expression of a mutated ...

Bacterial growth without division was observed in a giant cell-producing strain of Escherichia coli K-12. Giant cell production is controlled by the lon(-) (failure of cell division after irradiation) and mon(-) (formation of irregularly shaped cells) genes. Irradiation of a lon(-)mon(-) strain (P678-A(4)) with low doses of ultraviolet or ionizing radiation results in the production of large, a...

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular parasite of eucaryotic cells. Little is known about the role of the host in supporting chlamydial replication beyond the facts that host cells provide ATP and that de novo host protein synthesis is not required for bacterial growth. To further explore potential contributions of host nuclear function to chlamydial development, we questioned whet...