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Epigenetic processes play key roles in the heterogeneity of immune cells and in the plasticity of the immune response. Pathogens may influence host immunity by interfering with these processes.
Spliceosomal introns are ubiquitous in nearly every eukaryotic genome. The α-proteobacterial ancestor of mitochondria may have possessed group II self-splicing introns that gave rise to these spliceosomal introns.
Various events cause DNA to be degraded into nucleotides; for example, chromosomal DNA is digested by DNases in apoptotic cells. Defects in DNases can lead to disease (e.g., cancer).
Clathrin-independent endocytic pathways include large-scale processes (e.g., macropinocytosis) and diverse small-scale processes that vary in their mechanisms, machinery, and cargo.
Most biologists feel that “eukaryote” is a natural kind (discovered rather than invented). Naturalness of kinds comes in degrees, and “eukaryote” fares well on several counts.
The CSF-1 receptor is a broadly expressed cell-surface protein, playing important roles in macrophage development and in diseases such as leukemias and lymphomas. It transduces signals by binding growth factors CSF-1 or IL-34.
A lysosome-to-nucleus signaling pathway, involving the mTORC1 kinase complex and the TFEB transcription factor, provides the lysosome with the ability to adapt to environmental cues (e.g., nutrient availability).
The small-molecule inhibitor I-BET affects the expression of a subset of inflammatory genes. It may facilitate the development of anti-inflammatory treatments that are tuned to individual- or disease-specific gene expression patterns.
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