The innate immune system recognizes nucleic acids during infection or tissue damage; however, the mechanisms of intracellular recognition of DNA have not been fully elucidated. Here we show that intracellular administration of double-stranded B-form DNA (B-DNA) triggered antiviral responses including production of type I interferons and chemokines independently of Toll-like receptors or the helicase RIG-I. B-DNA activated transcription factor IRF3 and the promoter of the gene encoding interferon-beta through a signaling pathway that required the kinases TBK1 and IKKi, whereas there was substantial activation of transcription factor NF-kappaB independent of both TBK and IKKi. IPS-1, an adaptor molecule linking RIG-I and TBK1, was involved in B-DNA-induced activation of interferon-beta and NF-kappaB. B-DNA signaling by this pathway conferred resistance to viral infection in a way dependent on both TBK1 and IKKi. These results suggest that both TBK1 and IKKi are required for innate immune activation by B-DNA, which might be important in antiviral innate immunity and other DNA-associated immune disorders.

For a long time now, two ubiquitously expressed mammalian calpain isoenzymes have been used to explore the structure and function of calpain. Although these two calpains, μ- and m-calpains, still attract intensive interest because of their unique characteristics, various distinct homologues to the protease domain of μ- and m-calpains have been identified in a variety of organisms. Some of these ‘novel’ calpain homologues are involved in important biological functions. For example, p94 (also called calpain 3), a mammalian calpain homologue predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle, is genetically proved to be responsible for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A. Tra-3, a calpain homologue in nematodes, is involved in the sex determination cascade during early development. PalB, a key gene product involved in the alkaline adaptation of Aspergillus nidulans, is the first example of a calpain homologue present in fungi. These findings indicate various important functional roles for intracellular proteases belonging to the calpain superfamily.

Pendrin is an anion transporter encoded by the PDS͞Pds gene. In humans, mutations in PDS cause the genetic disorder Pendred syndrome, which is associated with deafness and goiter. Previous studies have shown that this gene has a relatively restricted pattern of expression, with PDS͞Pds mRNA detected only in the thyroid, inner ear, and kidney. The present study examined the distribution and function of pendrin in the mammalian kidney. Immunolocalization studies were performed using anti-pendrin polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Labeling was detected on the apical surface of a subpopulation of cells within the cortical collecting ducts (CCDs) that also express the H ؉ -ATPase but not aquaporin-2, indicating that pendrin is present in intercalated cells of the CCD. Furthermore, pendrin was detected exclusively within the subpopulation of intercalated cells that express the H ؉ -ATPase but not the anion exchanger 1 (AE1) and that are thought to mediate bicarbonate secretion. The same distribution of pendrin was observed in mouse, rat, and human kidney. However, pendrin was not detected in kidneys from a Pds-knockout mouse. Perfused CCD tubules isolated from alkali-loaded wild-type mice secreted bicarbonate, whereas tubules from alkali-loaded Pds-knockout mice failed to secrete bicarbonate. Together, these studies indicate that pendrin is an apical anion transporter in intercalated cells of CCDs and has an essential role in renal bicarbonate secretion.

Autophagy is an essential process for physiological homeostasis, but its role in viral infection is only beginning to be elucidated. We show here that the Atg5-Atg12 conjugate, a key regulator of the autophagic process, plays an important role in innate antiviral immune responses. Atg5-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were resistant to vesicular stomatitis virus replication, which was largely due to hyperproduction of type I interferons in response to immunostimulatory RNA (isRNA), such as virus-derived, double-stranded, or 5 -phosphorylated RNA. Similar hyperresponse to isRNA was also observed in Atg7-deficient MEFs, in which Atg5-Atg12 conjugation is impaired. Overexpression of Atg5 or Atg12 resulted in Atg5-Atg12 conjugate formation and suppression of isRNA-mediated signaling. Molecular interaction studies indicated that the Atg5-Atg12 conjugate negatively regulates the type I IFN production pathway by direct association with the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and IFN-␤ promoter stimulator 1 (IPS-1) through the caspase recruitment domains (CARDs). Thus, in contrast to its role in promoting the bactericidal process, a component of the autophagic machinery appears to block innate antiviral immune responses, thereby contributing to RNA virus replication in host cells.innate immunity ͉ signal transduction ͉ type I interferon

Calpain, calcium-activated neutral protease, stands as a unique receptor for calcium signals in biological systems; its activation leads to irreversible proteolytic processing of substrate proteins, modifying cellular situations in a manner distinct from that of reversible processes including the phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reactions. Because the enzyme participates not only in normal intracellular signal transduction cascades but also in various pathological states including ischemia, calpain research has attracted tremendous interest in wide areas of life sciences in both basic and clinical terms. This review will address the new perspectives evoked by recent discoveries since 1990. Molecular biological studies have established that calpain in fact constitutes a large family of distinct isozymes differing in structure and distribution, whereas an increasing number of reports describe physiological-pathological involvement of calpain. Another major accomplishment is the technical breakthrough allowing spatial resolution of calpain action presenting a clearer in vivo picture of how calpain acts in cells and tissues.