Plasmacytoid dendritic cells sense self-DNA coupled with antimicrobial peptide

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) sense viral and microbial DNA through endosomal Toll-like receptors to produce type 1 interferons. pDCs do not normally respond to self-DNA, but this restriction seems to break down in human autoimmune disease by an as yet poorly understood mechanism. Here we identify the antimicrobial peptide LL37 (also known as CAMP) as the key factor that mediates pDC activation in psoriasis, a common autoimmune disease of the skin. LL37 converts inert self-DNA into a potent trigger of interferon production by binding the DNA to form aggregated and condensed structures that are delivered to and retained within early endocytic compartments in pDCs to trigger Toll-like receptor 9. Thus, our data uncover a fundamental role of an endogenous antimicrobial peptide in breaking innate tolerance to self-DNA and suggest that this pathway may drive autoimmunity in psoriasis.     

华南武夷山早古生代构造事件的^40Ar／^39Ar同位素年龄研究

华南武夷山地区广泛发育一套强烈韧性剪切变形的中、高级变质岩系,其新生矿物白云母非常普遍.对武夷山南麓政和县蝴碟街大理岩和北麓弋阳县慈竹片麻状花岗岩中的动力变质矿物白云母进行40Ar/39Ar法同位素测年,分别获得391±3Ma和421±8Ma的坪年龄值,以及385±5Ma和422±6Ma的等时线年龄值,时代相当于志留纪末到泥盆纪初.结合地质证据,认为武夷山地区存在过一期早古生代沉积作用和早古生代末期的构造热事件.至少有一期的强烈韧性剪切变形和糜棱岩化作用是该构造事件所导致