To demonstrate the benefits of RNA-Seq over microarray in transcriptome profiling, both RNA-Seq and microarray analyses were performed on RNA samples from a human T cell activation experiment. In contrast to other reports, our analyses focused on the difference, rather than similarity, between RNA-Seq and microarray technologies in transcriptome profiling. A comparison of data sets derived from RNA-Seq and Affymetrix platforms using the same set of samples showed a high correlation between gene expression profiles generated by the two platforms. However, it also demonstrated that RNA-Seq was superior in detecting low abundance transcripts, differentiating biologically critical isoforms, and allowing the identification of genetic variants. RNA-Seq also demonstrated a broader dynamic range than microarray, which allowed for the detection of more differentially expressed genes with higher fold-change. Analysis of the two datasets also showed the benefit derived from avoidance of technical issues inherent to microarray probe performance such as cross-hybridization, non-specific hybridization and limited detection range of individual probes. Because RNA-Seq does not rely on a pre-designed complement sequence detection probe, it is devoid of issues associated with probe redundancy and annotation, which simplified interpretation of the data. Despite the superior benefits of RNA-Seq, microarrays are still the more common choice of researchers when conducting transcriptional profiling experiments. This is likely because RNA-Seq sequencing technology is new to most researchers, more expensive than microarray, data storage is more challenging and analysis is more complex. We expect that once these barriers are overcome, the RNA-Seq platform will become the predominant tool for transcriptome analysis.

The diverse physiological functions of histamine are mediated through distinct histamine receptors. Mast cells are major producers of histamine, yet effects of histamine on mast cells are currently unclear. The present study shows that histamine induces chemotaxis of mouse mast cells, without affecting mast cell degranulation. Mast cell chemotaxis toward histamine could be blocked by the dual H 3 /H 4 receptor antagonist thioperamide, but not by H 1 or H 2 receptor antagonists. This chemotactic response is mediated by the H 4 receptor, because chemotaxis toward histamine was absent in mast cells derived from H 4 receptor-deficient mice but was detected in H 3 receptor-deficient mast cells. In addition, Northern blot analysis showed the expression of H 4 but not H 3 receptors on mast cells. Activation of H 4 receptors by histamine resulted in calcium mobilization from intracellular calcium stores. Both G␣i/o proteins and phospholipase C (PLC) are involved in histamineinduced calcium mobilization and chemotaxis in mast cells, because these responses were completely inhibited by pertussis toxin and PLC inhibitor 1- [6-[[17␤-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5 (10)-trien-17-yl]amino]hexyl]-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U73122). In summary, histamine was shown to mediate signaling and chemotaxis of mast cells via the H 4 receptor. This mechanism might be responsible for mast cell accumulation in allergic tissues.

T cells express T-cell antigen receptors (TCR) for the recognition of antigen in conjunction with the products of the major histocompatibility complex. They also express two key surface coreceptors, CD4 and CD8, which are involved in the interaction with their ligands. As CD4 is expressed on the early haemopoietic progenitor as well as the early thymic precursor cells, a role for CD4 in haemopoiesis and T-cell development is implicated. Thymocytes undergo a series of differentiation and selection steps to become mature CD4+8- or CD4-8+ (single positive) T cells. Studies of the role of CD4+ T cells in vivo have been based on adoptive transfer of selected or depleted lymphocytes, or in vivo treatment of thymectomized mice with monoclonal antibodies causing depletion of CD4+ T cells. In order to study the role of the CD4 molecule in the development and function of lymphocytes, we have disrupted the CD4 gene in embryonic stem cells by homologous recombination. Germ-line transmission of the mutation produces mutant mouse strains that do not express CD4 on the cell surface. In these mice, the development of CD8+ T cells and myeloid components is unaltered, indicating that expression of CD4 on progenitor cells and CD4+ CD8+ (double positive) thymocytes is not obligatory. Here we report that these mice have markedly decreased helper cell activity for antibody responses, although cytotoxic T-cell activity against viruses is in the normal range. This differential requirement for CD4+ helper T cells is important to our understanding of immune disorders including AIDS, in which CD4+ cells are reduced or absent.

Histamine mediates its physiological function through binding to four known histamine receptors. Here, we describe the first selective antagonist of the histamine H 4 receptor, the newest member of the histamine receptor family, and provide evidence that such antagonists have anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.