This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Some proteins are central to many cell signaling processes. One of these key molecules is AKT2. An important kinase involved in cell survival, growth, and metabolism, it has ties to insulin-induced signaling and cancer. AKT2 has a critical role in immune cells such as neutrophils and macrophages; however, although AKT2 is expressed in antibody-producing immune cells called B cells, its function in B cells isn’t clear. In a recent study, researchers sought to understand the role of AKT2 in B cells using AKT2-deficient mice. They found that mice lacking AKT2 had impaired B-cell differentiation. B cells from these mice were not able to form a cluster of molecules called a signalosome in response to B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling, resulting in poor BCR signaling and impaired B cell activation and spreading. These results suggest that as a central orchestrator of signaling, AKT2 function is critical for proper BCR signaling and B cell development, ensuring a functional antibody-mediated immune response..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Biology is designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors. It is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. To meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, some content has been strategically condensed while maintaining the overall scope and coverage of traditional texts for this course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe physical and chemical immune barriersExplain immediate and induced innate immune responsesDiscuss natural killer cellsDescribe major histocompatibility class I moleculesSummarize how the proteins in a complement system function to destroy extracellular pathogens

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Numerous food products on the market today advertise the presence of probiotics, living microorganisms with potential health benefits, and many people take dietary supplements containing probiotics in the hopes of improving their gut health. Scientists often compare peroral probiotic treatments to a 'drop in the ocean', referring to the vast microbiota that already exist in the gut. So how can it impact the entire microbiota and gut health? To answer this question, researchers recently evaluated how a particular probiotic bacterium affects immune cells found in masses of tissue in the small intestine called Peyer’s patches. They found an increase in both the number and immune function of certain white blood cells known as B lymphocytes in the Peyer’s patches of mice that ingested the probiotic. This change led to increased production of the antibody IgA and altered the intestinal microbial community, ultimately resulting in improved protection against inflammation, such as colitis..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"B lymphocytes are white blood cells that use antibodies to recognize foreign invaders and destroy them. While B cells are typically beneficialfor the immune system, they can also be damaging, such as inrheumatoid arthritis. In rheumatoid arthritis, overactivated B cells accumulate and produce auto-antibodies that attack the joints, leading to chronic inflammation. To counteract the damaging effects of B cells, researchers took mice with rheumatoid arthritis and injected them with the repressor protein SMILE. SMILE was found to inhibit the activation of B cells, reducing their numbers as well as antibody production. This resulted in milder clinical symptoms and decreased tissue damage and was linked to the AMPK/mTOR and STAT3 signaling pathways. Although rheumatoid arthritis has been extensively studied, there is no complete cure. This study offers hope by showing that SMILE can potentially serve as a therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.