scholarly journals Zinc and the immune system

2000 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 541-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lothar Rink
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Disease Status ◽  
Zn Deficiency ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Experimental Systems ◽  
Different Types ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

Zn is an essential trace element for all organisms. In human subjects body growth and development is strictly dependent on Zn. The nervous, reproductive and immune systems are particularly influenced by Zn deficiency, as well as by increased levels of Zn. The relationship between Zn and the immune system is complex, since there are four different types of influence associated with Zn. (1) The dietary intake and the resorption of Zn depends on the composition of the diet and also on age and disease status. (2) Zn is a cofactor in more than 300 enzymes influencing various organ functions having a secondary effect on the immune system. (3) Direct effects of Zn on the production, maturation and function of leucocytes. (4) Zn influences the function of immunostimulants used in the experimental systems. Here we summarize all four types of influence on the immune function. Nutritional aspects of Zn, the physiology of Zn, the influence of Zn on enzymes and cellular functions, direct effects of Zn on leucocytes at the cellular and molecular level, Zn-altered function of immunostimulants and the therapeutic use of Zn will be discussed in detail.

scholarly journals Roles of Zinc Signaling in the Immune System

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shintaro Hojyo ◽  
Toshiyuki Fukada
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Signaling Cascades ◽  
Zn Deficiency ◽  
Physiological Mechanisms ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Zn Homeostasis ◽  
Zinc Signaling ◽  
Extracellular Stimuli ◽  
And Function ◽  
And Storage

Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for basic cell activities such as cell growth, differentiation, and survival. Zn deficiency depresses both innate and adaptive immune responses. However, the precise physiological mechanisms of the Zn-mediated regulation of the immune system have been largely unclear. Zn homeostasis is tightly controlled by the coordinated activity of Zn transporters and metallothioneins, which regulate the transport, distribution, and storage of Zn. There is growing evidence that Zn behaves like a signaling molecule, facilitating the transduction of a variety of signaling cascades in response to extracellular stimuli. In this review, we highlight the emerging functional roles of Zn and Zn transporters in immunity, focusing on how crosstalk between Zn and immune-related signaling guides the normal development and function of immune cells.

scholarly journals Crosstalk Between Tumor-Associated Microglia/Macrophages and CD8-Positive T Cells Plays a Key Role in Glioblastoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng Tu ◽  
Xu Lin ◽  
Jili Qiu ◽  
Jiaqi Zhou ◽  
Hui Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Malignant Disease ◽  
Immune Therapy ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

Glioblastoma is considered to be the most malignant disease of the central nervous system, and it is often associated with poor survival. The immune microenvironment plays a key role in the development and treatment of glioblastoma. Among the different types of immune cells, tumor-associated microglia/macrophages (TAM/Ms) and CD8-positive (CD8+) T cells are the predominant immune cells, as well as the most active ones. Current studies have suggested that interaction between TAM/Ms and CD8+ T cells have numerous potential targets that will allow them to overcome malignancy in glioblastoma. In this review, we summarize the mechanism and function of TAM/Ms and CD8+ T cells involved in glioblastoma, as well as update on the relationship and crosstalk between these two cell types, to determine whether this association alters the immune status during glioblastoma development and affects optimal treatment. We focus on the molecular factors that are crucial to this interaction, and the role that this crosstalk plays in the biological processes underlying glioblastoma treatment, particularly with regard to immune therapy. We also discuss novel therapeutic targets that can aid in resolving reticular connections between TAM/Ms and CD8+ T cells, including depletion and reprogramming TAM/Ms and novel TAM/Ms-CD8+ T cell cofactors with potential translational usage. In addition, we highlight the challenges and discuss future perspectives of this crosstalk between TAM/Ms and CD8+ T cells.

scholarly journals MiR-146a in Immunity and Disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Rusca ◽  
Silvia Monticelli
Keyword(s):  
Immune Responses ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Adaptive Immune Responses ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Different Types ◽  
A Cell ◽  
And Function

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulatory molecules able to influence all aspects of the biology of a cell. They have been associated with diseases such as cancer, viral infections, and autoimmune diseases, and in recent years, they also emerged as important regulators of immune responses. MiR-146a in particular is rapidly gaining importance as a modulator of differentiation and function of cells of the innate as well as adaptive immunity. Given its importance in regulating key cellular functions, it is not surprising that miR-146a expression was also found dysregulated in different types of tumors. In this paper, we summarize recent progress in understanding the role of miR-146a in innate and adaptive immune responses, as well as in disease.

scholarly journals Functional determinants of protein assembly into homomeric complexes

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Therese Bergendahl ◽  
Joseph A. Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Protein Function ◽  
Quaternary Structure ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Functional Annotations ◽  
Evolutionary Selection ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Different Types ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractApproximately half of proteins with experimentally determined structures can interact with other copies of themselves and assemble into homomeric complexes, the overwhelming majority of which (>96%) are symmetric. Although homomerisation is often assumed to be functionally beneficial and the result of evolutionary selection, there has been little systematic analysis of the relationship between homomer structure and function. Here, utilizing the large numbers of structures and functional annotations now available, we have investigated how proteins that assemble into different types of homomers are associated with different biological functions. We observe that homomers from different symmetry groups are significantly enriched in distinct functions, and can often provide simple physical and geometrical explanations for these associations in regards to substrate recognition or physical environment. One of the strongest associations is the tendency for metabolic enzymes to form dihedral complexes, which we suggest is closely related to allosteric regulation. We provide a physical explanation for why allostery is related to dihedral complexes: it allows for efficient propagation of conformational changes across isologous (i.e. symmetric) interfaces. Overall we demonstrate a clear relationship between protein function and homomer symmetry that has important implications for understanding protein evolution, as well as for predicting protein function and quaternary structure.

scholarly journals Conflicting notions of language in metalinguistic discourses in Lithuania, Norway and Serbia

2015 ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Vuk Vukotić
Keyword(s):  
Personal Identity ◽  
Language Ideology ◽  
Language Ideologies ◽  
Online News ◽  
Identity Change ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Difference ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Standard Language Ideology

The article analyses the notions of language and their elements in metalinguistic comments taken from comment sections in online news portals from Lithuania, Norway and Serbia. The aim is to find and categorize different types of language notions. The goals were to analyse the elements of the notions of language and categorize them according to the metaphors found in the discourse. The empirical data was taken from comments under three news (three for each country), approximately 1640 comments were collected and the ones that contained metaphorical representations of language were analysed, 257 in total. The results show eight different notions of language, which are called: prescriptivist / authoritarian, instrumentalist, ethnolinguistic, communicative, essentialist, „personal identity“, elitist and constructivist. The last three notions are specific for only one of the environments and are discussed in greater detail. From the users’ perspective, the difference between the notions is based on several elements, most importantly: the place of language in society (what is the relationship to standard and non-standard varieties) perception of change and function and functionality of language. The results also show that notions of ‘pure language’ are connected not only to the ethnolinguistic notion of language (language as a part of the identity, change is understood as decay), but also with other varieties of language are connected with different (even opposing) ideals and practical concerns (language as a neutral tool of communication, as a separate organism, substance etc.), and, finally, those notions of language, where the differentiation between the varieties of language is not important, is only connected with the communicative function (communicative notion of language – language is communication). Speaking about language ideologies in general, results show that there are of language in which standard language ideology (according to Milroy 2001) is negatively valued.

scholarly journals Loss in the expansion of SARS-CoV-2 specific immunity is a key risk factor in fatal patients with COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Zeng ◽  
Gang Huang ◽  
Yong-zhe Li ◽  
Guoqiang Xu ◽  
Sheng-yong Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Survival Time ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Specific Immunity ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

Knowledge of the dynamic immunological characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is essential for clinicians to understand the progression of the disease. Our data showed that the immune system and function gradually remodeled and declined with age, starting from age 16 until age 91 in 25,239 healthy controls. An analysis of the relationship between the number of lymphocytes and age revealed that the lymphocyte and subset counts tended to decline with age significantly. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific immunity declined with age and was associated with survival time in fatal cases. Loss in the expansion of SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity could be expanded in vitro. The concurrent decline in SARS-CoV-2-specific cellular and humoral immunities and prolonged SARS-CoV-2 exposure predicted fatal outcomes. Our findings provide a basis for further analysis of SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity and understanding of the pathogenesis of fatal COVID-19 cases.

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) of DNA and RNA

1989 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 34-35
Author(s):  
Patricia G. Arscott ◽  
Gil Lee ◽  
Victor A. Bloomfield ◽  
D. Fennell Evans
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Inorganic Materials ◽  
Resolving Power ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Tunneling Microscopy ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Calf Thymus ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

STM is one of the most promising techniques available for visualizing the fine details of biomolecular structure. It has been used to map the surface topography of inorganic materials in atomic dimensions, and thus has the resolving power not only to determine the conformation of small molecules but to distinguish site-specific features within a molecule. That level of detail is of critical importance in understanding the relationship between form and function in biological systems. The size, shape, and accessibility of molecular structures can be determined much more accurately by STM than by electron microscopy since no staining, shadowing or labeling with heavy metals is required, and there is no exposure to damaging radiation by electrons. Crystallography and most other physical techniques do not give information about individual molecules.We have obtained striking images of DNA and RNA, using calf thymus DNA and two synthetic polynucleotides, poly(dG-me5dC)·poly(dG-me5dC) and poly(rA)·poly(rU).

THEORY OF LAW AND PHILOSOPHY OF LAW AS THEORETICAL DISCOURSES: SPECIFICS AND RELATIONSHIP

2020 ◽  
pp. 9-17
Author(s):  
Вадим Леонидович Афанасьевский
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Scientific Theory ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
Philosophy Of Law ◽  
The West ◽  
Scientific Creativity ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Theory Of Law ◽  
The Relationship

В статье анализируется проблема взаимоотношений философии права и научной теории права. Рассматриваемая проблема стала особенно актуальной в российском образовательном пространстве в связи с введением после длительного перерыва в государственный образовательный стандарт магистратуры по юриспруденции учебной дисциплины «Философия права». Автор статьи в качестве базисного принимает тезис, согласно которому философия права, являясь сферой философской мысли, и теория права как область научного социогуманитарного знания представляют собой разные типы теоретического дискурса. Исходя из этого, в статье выстраивается теоретическая концепция, согласно которой задачей философии права как философского типа мышления является конструирование или экспликация онтологических, эпистемологических, аксиологических, феноменологических оснований для формирования и функционирования научных теоретико-правовых и историко-правовых построений. Для реализации поставленной в статье задачи подробно рассматриваются ключевые характеристики как теории философского типа, так и идеалов, норм и характеристик научного знания. Выявленное различие экстраполируется на взаимоотношение теории права как продукта научного творчества и философии права как конструкции, задающей базовые мировоззренческие смыслы. В качестве примера выработанных философией права и государства оснований научных теорий прогресса, государства, морали и права, автор приводит взгляды мыслителей западноевропейской философской классики: Т. Гоббса, Ж.-Ж. Руссо, И. Канта, Г.В.Ф. Гегеля. Именно их философские концепции предопределили образы теоретико- и историко-правовых учений XVIII, XIX, XX и даже начала XXI в. Таким образом, отношение философии права и теории права выстраивается по «вертикали»: от онтологического основания к возведению теоретико-правовых и историко-правовых научных построений. The article analyzes the problem of the relationship between the philosophy of law and the scientific theory of law. The problem under consideration has become especially urgent in the Russian educational space in connection with the introduction of the Philosophy of Law discipline master's degree in law after a long break. The author of the article takes as the basis the thesis that the philosophy of law, being the sphere of philosophical thought, and the theory of law as a field of scientific socio-humanitarian knowledge are different types of theoretical discourse. Based on this, the article builds a theoretical concept according to which the task of the philosophy of law as a philosophical type of thinking is the construction or explication of ontological, epistemological, axiological, phenomenological grounds for the formation and functioning of concrete scientific theoretical and legal and historical and legal constructions. To implement the task posed in the article, the key characteristics of both a theory of a philosophical type and ideals, norms and characteristics of scientific knowledge are examined in detail. The revealed difference is extrapolated to the relationship between the theory of law as a product of scientific creativity and the philosophy of law as a construction that sets basic philosophical meanings. As an example of the foundations of the scientific theories of progress, state, morality and law developed by the philosophy of law and the state, the author gives the views and thinkers of the West European philosophical classics T. Hobbes, J.-J. Russo, I. Kant, G.V.F. Hegel. It was their philosophical concepts that predetermined the images of theoretical and historical-legal doctrines of the XVIII, XIX, XX and even the beginning of the XXI centuries. Thus, the attitude of the philosophy of law and the theory of law is built along the «vertical»: from the ontological foundation to the construction of theoretical and historical and historical legal scientific constructions.

Influence of the Intestinal Microbiota on Diabetes Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 1603-1615
Author(s):  
Eva Alvarez-Vieites ◽  
Arora López-Santamarina ◽  
José M. Miranda ◽  
Alicia del Carmen Mondragón ◽  
Alexandre Lamas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Intestinal Microbiota ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Experimental Animals ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
New Treatments ◽  
The Relationship

In recent decades, there has been a very rapid increase in the prevalence of diabetes globally, with serious health and economic implications. Although today there are several therapeutic treatments for this disease, these do not address the causes of the disease and have serious side effects, so it is necessary to seek new treatments to replace or complement the existing ones. Among these complementary treatments, a strong link between the intestinal microbiota and diabetes has been demonstrated, which has focused attention on the use of biotherapy to regulate the function of the intestinal microbiota and, thus, treat diabetes. In this way, the main objective of this work is to provide a review of the latest scientific evidence on diabetes, gathering information about new trends in its management, and especially, the influence of the intestinal microbiota and microbiome on this pathology. It is possible to conclude that the relationship between the intestinal microbiota and diabetes is carried out through alterations in energy metabolism, the immune system, changes in intestinal permeability, and a state of low-intensity systemic inflammation. Although, currently, most of the experimental work, using probiotics for diabetes management, has been done on experimental animals, the results obtained are promising. Thus, the modification of the microbiota through biotherapy has shown to improve the symptoms and severity of diabetes through various mechanisms related to these alterations.

Establishing a model to demonstrate physical and mathematical properties of chromatin fibres in fission yeast cells - Research in the Molecular Biophysics Lab at Hiroshima University

Impact ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-91
Author(s):  
Shin-ichi Tate
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Cellular Events ◽  
And Function ◽  
Education Culture ◽  
Open The Doors

The field of molecular biology has provided great insights into the structure and function of key molecules. Thanks to this area of research, we can now grasp the biological details of DNA and have characterised an enormous number of molecules in massive data bases. These 'biological periodic tables' have allowed scientists to connect molecules to particular cellular events, furthering scientific understanding of biological processes. However, molecular biology has yet to answer questions regarding 'higher-order' molecular architecture, such as that of chromatin. Chromatin is the molecular material that serves as the building block for chromosomes, the structures that carry an organism's genetic information inside of the cell's nucleus. Understanding the physical properties of chromatin is crucial in developing a more thorough picture of how chromatin's structure relate to its key cellular functions. Moreover, by establishing a physical model of chromatin, scientists will be able to open the doors into the true inner workings of the cell nucleus. Professor Shin-ichi Tate and his team of researchers at Hiroshima University's Research Center for the Mathematics on Chromatin Live Dynamics (RcMcD), are attempting to do just that. Through a five-year grant funded by the Platform for Dynamic Approaches to Living Systems from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Tate is aiming to gain a clearer understanding of the structure and dynamics of chromatin.

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