Osaka University

About: Osaka University is a education organization based out in Osaka, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Laser & Catalysis. The organization has 83778 authors who have published 185669 publications receiving 5158122 citations. The organization is also known as: Ōsaka daigaku.

Endotoxin-induced maturation of MyD88-deficient dendritic cells.

Abstract: LPS, a major component of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria, can induce a variety of biological responses including cytokine production from macrophages, B cell proliferation, and endotoxin shock. All of them were completely abolished in MyD88-deficient mice, indicating the essential role of MyD88 in LPS signaling. However, MyD88-deficient cells still show activation of NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades, although the biological significance of this activation is not clear. In this study, we have examined the effects of LPS on dendritic cells (DCs) from wild-type and several mutant mice. LPS-induced cytokine production from DCs was dependent on MyD88. However, LPS could induce functional maturation of MyD88-deficient DCs, including up-regulation of costimulatory molecules and enhancement of APC activity. MyD88-deficient DCs could not maturate in response to bacterial DNA, the ligand for Toll-like receptor (TLR)9, indicating that MyD88 is differentially required for TLR family signaling. MyD88-dependent and -independent pathways originate at the intracytoplasmic region of TLR4, because both cytokine induction and functional maturation were abolished in DCs from C3H/HeJ mice carrying the point mutation in the region. Finally, in vivo analysis revealed that MyD88-, but not TLR4-, deficient splenic CD11c+ DCs could up-regulate their costimulatory molecule expression in response to LPS. Collectively, the present study provides the first evidence that the MyD88-independent pathway downstrem of TLR4 can lead to functional DC maturation, which is critical for a link between innate and adaptive immunity.

Transmembrane phosphoprotein Cbp regulates the activities of Src-family tyrosine kinases.

Abstract: The Src family of protein tyrosine kinases (Src-PTKs) is important in the regulation of growth and differentiation of eukaryotic cells. The activity of Src-PTKs in cells of different types is negatively controlled by Csk, which specifically phosphorylates a conserved regulatory tyrosine residue at the carboxy-terminal tail of the Src-PTKs1,2,3. Csk is mainly cytoplasmic and Src-PTKs are predominantly membrane-associated. This raises a question about the mechanism of interaction between these enzymes. Here we present Cbp—a transmembrane phosphoprotein that is ubiquitously expressed and binds specifically to the SH2 domain of Csk. Cbp is involved in the membrane localization of Csk and in the Csk-mediated inhibition of c-Src. In the plasma membrane Cbp is exclusively localized in the GM1 ganglioside-enriched detergent-insoluble membrane domain, which is important in receptor-mediated signalling4,5,6,7,8. These findings reveal Cbp as a new component of the regulatory mechanism controlling the activity of membrane-associated Src-PTKs.

Uptake through glycoprotein 2 of FimH(+) bacteria by M cells initiates mucosal immune response.

Abstract: The mucosal immune system forms the largest part of the entire immune system, containing about three-quarters of all lymphocytes and producing grams of secretory IgA daily to protect the mucosal surface from pathogens. To evoke the mucosal immune response, antigens on the mucosal surface must be transported across the epithelial barrier into organized lymphoid structures such as Peyer's patches. This function, called antigen transcytosis, is mediated by specialized epithelial M cells. The molecular mechanisms promoting this antigen uptake, however, are largely unknown. Here we report that glycoprotein 2 (GP2), specifically expressed on the apical plasma membrane of M cells among enterocytes, serves as a transcytotic receptor for mucosal antigens. Recombinant GP2 protein selectively bound a subset of commensal and pathogenic enterobacteria, including Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), by recognizing FimH, a component of type I pili on the bacterial outer membrane. Consistently, these bacteria were colocalized with endogenous GP2 on the apical plasma membrane as well as in cytoplasmic vesicles in M cells. Moreover, deficiency of bacterial FimH or host GP2 led to defects in transcytosis of type-I-piliated bacteria through M cells, resulting in an attenuation of antigen-specific immune responses in Peyer's patches. GP2 is therefore a previously unrecognized transcytotic receptor on M cells for type-I-piliated bacteria and is a prerequisite for the mucosal immune response to these bacteria. Given that M cells are considered a promising target for oral vaccination against various infectious diseases, the GP2-dependent transcytotic pathway could provide a new target for the development of M-cell-targeted mucosal vaccines.

Evidence for Crystal-Face-Dependent TiO2 Photocatalysis from Single-Molecule Imaging and Kinetic Analysis

Abstract: According to the concept of active sites, the activity of heterogeneous catalysts correlates with the number of available catalytic sites and the binding affinity of the substrates. Herein, we report a single-molecule, single-particle fluorescence approach to elucidate the inherent photocatalytic activity of exposed surfaces of anatase TiO2, a promising photocatalyst, using redox-responsive fluorogenic dyes. A single-molecule imaging and kinetic analysis of the fluorescence from the products shows that reaction sites for the effective reduction of the probe molecules are preferentially located on the {101} facets of the crystal rather than the {001} facets with a higher surface energy. This surprising discrepancy can be explained in terms of face-specific electron-trapping probability. In situ observation of the catalytic events occurring at the solid/solution interfaces reveals the hidden role of the crystal facets in chemical reactions and their impact on the efficiency and selectivity of heterogeneous ...