Ji Hyung Kim

NKT cells in donor bone marrow (BM) have been demonstrated to protect against graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) following BM transplantation. Murine NKT cells are divided into two distinct subsets based on the invariant Valpha14Jalpha18 TCR expression. However, details of the subset and mechanisms of the BM NKT cells involved in suppressing GVHD have not been clarified. Irradiated BALB/c or C3H/HeN mice administered B6 or Jalpha18(-/-) BM cells show attenuation of GVHD, whereas recipients given CD1d(

Constitutive activation of the β-catenin dependent canonical Wnt signaling pathway, which enhances tumor growth and progression in multiple types of cancer, is commonly observed in melanoma. LEF1 activates β-catenin/TCF4 transcriptional activity, promoting tumor growth and progression. Although several reports have shown that LEF1 is highly expressed in melanoma, the functional role of LEF1 in melanoma growth is not fully understood. While A375, A2058, and G361 melanoma cells exhibit abnormally

Immune complex-induced acute lung injury (IC-ALI) has been implicated in various pulmonary disease states. However, the role of NKT cells in IC-ALI remains unknown. Therefore, we explored NKT cell functions in IC-ALI using chicken egg albumin and anti-chicken egg albumin IgG. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of CD1d(-/-) and Jα18(-/-) mice contained few Ly6G(+)CD11b(+) granulocytes, whereas levels in B6 mice were greater and were increased further by α-galactosyl ceramide. IFN-γ and MIP-1α produ

During interaction with APCs, invariant (i) NKT cells are thought to be indirectly activated by TLR4-dependently activated APCs. However, whether TLR4 directly activates iNKT cells is unknown. Therefore, the expression and function of TLR4 in iNKT cells were investigated. Flow cytometric and confocal microscopic analysis revealed TLR4 expression on the surface and in the endosome of iNKT cells. Upon LPS stimulation, iNKT cells enhanced IFN-γ production, but reduced IL-4 production, in the presen

Classically activated pro-inflammatory macrophages are generated from naive macrophages by pro-inflammatory cues that dynamically reprogram their fuel metabolism toward glycolysis. This increases their intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which then activate the transcription and release of pro-inflammatory mediators. Our study on mice that lack methionine sulfoxide reductase (Msr)-B1 shows that the resulting partial loss of protein methionine reduction in pro-inflammatory macroph

Invariant natural killer T cells are a distinct subset of T cells that exert Janus-like functions. Moreover, Notch signaling is known to have critical roles in the development and functions of T cells. However, it is not known whether Notch signaling contributes to the development or functions of invariant natural killer T cells. Here, we found that CD4-specific gene ablation of Notch 1 and Notch 2 (N1N2(-/-)) increased the number of invariant natural killer T cells in the thymus but decreased t

Star-shaped, quaternary ammonium-functionalized polymers containing a cyclic pendant group exhibit excellent antibacterial activity and selectivity.

BACKGROUND: Complementary and alternative herbal medicines are recently considered as a promising approach for treating various diseases. We screened approximately 100 plant extracts for anti-allergic activity. Rhamnus davurica leaf extract showed the most potent inhibitory effect on the activation of RBL-2H3 mast cells. Although Rhamnus davurica extract has been used to treat pruritus, dysuresia, and constipation as a traditional herbal medicine in some Asian countries, an anti-allergic effect

A role for NKT cells has been implicated in sepsis, but the mechanism by which NKT cells contribute to sepsis remains unclear. Here, we examined WT and NKT-cell-deficient mice of C57BL/6 background during cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis. The levels of C5a, IFN-γ, and IL-10 were higher in the serum and peritoneal fluid of WT mice than in those of CD1d(-/-) mice, while the mortality rate was lower in CD1d(-/-) mice than in WT mice. C5a blockade decreased mortality of WT mice during seps

The cluster of differentiation 1 (CD1) molecule differs from major histocompatibility complex class I and II because it presents glycolipid/lipid antigens. Moreover, the CD1-restricted T cells that recognize these self and foreign antigens participate in both innate and adaptive immune responses. CD1s are constitutively expressed by professional and nonprofessional antigen-presenting cells in mucosal tissues, namely, the skin, lung, and intestine. This suggests that CD1-reactive T cells are invo

Immune activation associates with the intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species(ROS). To elicit effective immune responses, ROS levels must be balanced. Emerging evidenceshows that ROS-mediated signal transduction can be regulated by selenoproteins such asmethionine sulfoxide reductase B1 (MsrB1). However, how the selenoprotein shapes immunityremains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that MsrB1 plays a crucial role in the ability ofdendritic cells (DCs) to provide the antigen pr

Methionine oxidation is involved in regulating the protein activity and often leads to protein malfunction. However, tools for quantitative analyses of protein-specific methionine oxidation are currently unavailable. In this work, we developed a biological sensor that quantifies oxidized methionine in the form of methionine-<i>R</i>-sulfoxide in target proteins. The biosensor "tpMetROG" consists of methionine sulfoxide reductase B (MsrB), circularly permuted yellow fluorescent protein (cpYFP), t