SummaryThe integrated stress response (ISR) is a homeostatic mechanism by which eukaryotic cells sense and respond to stress-inducing signals, such as amino acid starvation. General controlled nonrepressed (GCN2) kinase is a key orchestrator of the ISR, and modulates cellular metabolism in response to amino acid starvation. Here we demonstrate that GCN2 controls intestinal inflammation by suppressing inflammasome activation. Enhanced activation of ISR was observed in intestinal antigen presenting cells (APCs) and epithelial cells during amino acid starvation, or intestinal inflammation. Genetic deletion of GCN2 in CD11c+ APCs or intestinal epithelial cells resulted in enhanced intestinal inflammation and Th17 responses, due to enhanced inflammasome activation and IL-1β production. This was caused by reduced autophagy in GCN2−/− intestinal APCs and epithelial cells, leading to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), a potent activator of inflammasomes1. Thus, conditional ablation of Atg5 and Atg7 in intestinal APCs resulted in enhanced ROS and Th17 responses. Furthermore, in vivo blockade of ROS and IL-1β resulted in inhibition of Th17 responses and reduced inflammation in GCN2−/− mice. Importantly, acute amino acid starvation suppressed intestinal inflammation via a mechanism dependent on GCN2. These results reveal a mechanism that couples amino acid sensing with control of intestinal inflammation via GCN2.

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Background: Infection of nonhuman primates with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) or chimeric simianhuman immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) strains is widely used to study lentiviral pathogenesis, antiviral immunity and the efficacy of AIDS vaccine candidates. SHIV challenges allow assessment of anti-HIV-1 envelope responses in primates. As such, SHIVs should mimic natural HIV-1 infection in humans and, to address the pandemic, encode HIV-1 Env components representing major viral subtypes worldwide.

Fruit rot of chillies (Capsicum annuum L.), caused by Colletotrichum capsici under tropical and subtropical conditions, results in qualitative and quantitative yield losses. Based on variation in cultural and morphological traits of C. capsici populations, 37 isolates were categorized into five groups designated, respectively, as Cc-I, Cc-II, Cc-III, Cc-IV and Cc-V. In culture, most of the isolates produced cottony, fluffy or suppressed colonies. However, no significant differences were noticed in shape and size of conidia. The reaction of the 37 isolates on an indigenously developed differential set of Capsicum cultivars indicated the existence of different virulences in Himachal Pradesh (HP) chilli populations. Fifteen pathotypes of the pathogen were characterized from various chilli-growing regions of HP. Pathotype CCP-1 was most virulent and attacked all the differential cultivars. The genetic relationship between five morphological groups recognized within C. capsici was investigated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Molecular polymorphism generated by RAPD confirmed the variation in virulences of C. capsici and different isolates were grouped into five clusters. However, four isolates (Cc-5, Cc-33, Cc-29 and Cc-37) exhibited identical RAPD haplotypes. The pathological and RAPD grouping of isolates suggested no correlation among the test isolates.

Chronic liver disease mediated by activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) leads to liver fibrosis. Here, we postulated that the immune regulatory properties of HSCs might promote the profibrogenic activity of B cells. Fibrosis is completely attenuated in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-treated B cell deficient μMT mice showing that B cells are required. The retinoic acid produced by HSCs augmented B cell survival, plasma cell marker CD138 expression, and IgG production. These activities were reversed following the addition of the retinoic acid inhibitor, LE540. Transcriptional profiling of fibrotic liver B cells revealed an increased expression of genes related to NF-κB activation, proinflammatory cytokine production and CD40 signaling suggesting that these B cells are activated and may be acting as inflammatory cells. Biological validation experiments also revealed increased activation (CD44 and CD86 expressions), constitutive IgG production and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, MCP-1 and MIP1-α. Likewise targeted deletion of B-cell-intrinsic MyD88 signaling, an innate adaptor with involvement in RA signaling, resulted in reduced infiltration of migratory CD11c+ dendritic cells and Ly6C++ monocytes, and hence reduced liver pathology. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that liver fibrosis occurs through a mechanism of HSC-mediated augmentation of innate B cell activity and highlight B cells as an important ‘first responders’ of the intrahepatic immune environment.