BACKGROUND Toll-like receptors (TLRs) represent a conserved family of innate immune recognition receptors. Among TLRs, TLR4 is important for the recognition of Gram-negative bacteria, whereas TLR2 recognizes cell wall constituents of Gram-positive microorganisms, such as peptidoglycan (PGN). METHODS To evaluate the role of TLR4 in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury induced by Escherichia c...

The enolase from Streptococcus pyogenes (Str enolase F137L/E363G) is a homo-octamer shaped like a donut. Plasminogen (Pgn) is a monomeric protein composed of seven discrete separated domains organized into a lock washer. The enolase is known to bind Pgn. In past work we searched for conditions in which the two proteins would bind to one another. The two native proteins in solution would not bin...

BACKGROUND The Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), remains a significant source of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Pneumonia and sepsis are leading causes of ARDS, the pathophysiology of which includes increased pulmonary microvascular permeability and hemodynamic instability resulting in organ dysfunction. We hypothesized that N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF)...

TLR agonists are attractive candidate adjuvants for therapeutic cancer vaccines as they can induce a balanced humoral and T cell-mediated immune response. With a dense network of dendritic cells (DCs) and draining lymphatics, the skin provides an ideal portal for vaccine delivery. Beside direct DC activation, TLR agonists may also induce DC activation through triggering the release of inflammat...

Obesity is associated with inflammation that can drive metabolic defects such as hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance. Specific metabolites can contribute to inflammation, but nutrient intake and obesity are also associated with altered bacterial load in metabolic tissues (i.e. metabolic endotoxemia). These bacterial cues can contribute to obesity-induced inflammation. The specific bacterial c...

Taking advantage of the segregation of different classes of ganglion cell fibres in the optic tract, we investigated the ganglion cell class that projects to the pregeniculate nucleus (PGN) in the normal macaque monkey (Macaca mulatta and Macaca fascicularis) and following long-standing removal of striate cortex in one hemisphere. Confining small pellets of horseradish peroxidase and biocytin i...

Covalently conjugating multiple copies of the drug zanamivir (ZA; the active ingredient in Relenza) via a flexible linker to poly-l-glutamine (PGN) enhances the anti-influenza virus activity by orders of magnitude. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of this phenomenon. Like ZA itself, the PGN-attached drug (PGN-ZA) binds specifically to viral neuraminidase and inhibits both its enzym...

PURPOSE The present study aimed to determine the role played by β-defensin 124 (DEFB124) in the innate immunity of prostate epithelial RWPE-1 cells during bacterial infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS The expression of DEFB124 was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blotting, and immunocytochemistry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and quantitative real...

BACKGROUND Peptidoglycan (PGN) is a component of cell wall in Gram-positive bacteria that stimulates inflammatory responses through Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). The carboxyl terminus of constitutive heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70)-interacting protein (CHIP, also known as Stub1) is a U-box-type E3 ubiquitin ligase, which plays an important role in protein quality control and inflammation through u...