Atherosclerosis involves a macrophage-rich inflammation in the aortic intima. It is increasingly recognized that this intimal inflammation is paralleled over time by a distinct inflammatory reaction in adjacent adventitia. Though cross talk between the coordinated inflammatory foci in the intima and the adventitia seems implicit, the mechanism(s) underlying their communication is unclear. Here, using detailed imaging analysis, microarray analyses, laser-capture microdissection, adoptive lymphocyte transfers, and functional blocking studies, we undertook to identify this mechanism. We show that in aged apoE−/− mice, medial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) beneath intimal plaques in abdominal aortae become activated through lymphotoxin β receptor (LTβR) to express the lymphorganogenic chemokines CXCL13 and CCL21. These signals in turn trigger the development of elaborate bona fide adventitial aortic tertiary lymphoid organs (ATLOs) containing functional conduit meshworks, germinal centers within B cell follicles, clusters of plasma cells, high endothelial venules (HEVs) in T cell areas, and a high proportion of T regulatory cells. Treatment of apoE−/− mice with LTβR-Ig to interrupt LTβR signaling in SMCs strongly reduced HEV abundance, CXCL13, and CCL21 expression, and disrupted the structure and maintenance of ATLOs. Thus, the LTβR pathway has a major role in shaping the immunological characteristics and overall integrity of the arterial wall.

contributed equally to this work Temperature dramatically affects plant±virus interactions. Outbreaks of virus diseases are frequently associated with low temperature, while at high temperature viral symptoms are often attenuated (heat masking) and plants rapidly recover from virus diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms of these well-known observations are not yet understood. RNA silencing is a conserved defence system of eukaryotic cells, which operates against molecular parasites including viruses and transgenes. Here we show that at low temperature both virus and transgene triggered RNA silencing are inhibited. Therefore, in cold, plants become more susceptible to viruses, and RNA silencing-based phenotypes of transgenic plants are lost. Consistently, the levels of virus-and transgenederived small (21±26 nucleotide) interfering (si) RNAsÐthe central molecules of RNA silencing-mediated defence pathwaysÐare dramatically reduced at low temperature. In contrast, RNA silencing was activated and the amount of siRNAs gradually increased with rising temperature. However, temperature does not in¯uence the accumulation of micro (mi) RNAs, which play a role in developmental regulation, suggesting that the two classes of small (si and mi) RNAs are generated by different nuclease complexes.

Nuclear factor-jB (NF-jB) and p53 critically determine cancer development and progression. Defining the cross talk between these transcription factors can expand our knowledge on molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis. Here, we show that induction of replicational stress activates NF-jB p65 and triggers its interaction with p53 in the nucleus. Experiments with knockout cells show that p65 and p53 are both required for enhanced NF-jB activity during S-phase checkpoint activation involving ataxiatelangiectasia mutated and checkpoint kinase-1. Accordingly, the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factora (TNF-a) also triggers formation of a transcriptionally active complex containing nuclear p65 and p53 on jB response elements. Gene expression analyses revealed that, independent of NF-jB activation in the cytosol, TNFinduced NF-jB-directed gene expression relies on p53. Hence, p53 is unexpectedly necessary for NF-jB-mediated gene expression induced by atypical and classical stimuli. Remarkably, data from gain-and loss-of function approaches argue that anti-apoptotic NF-jB p65 activity is constitutively evoked by a p53 hot-spot mutant frequently found in tumors. Our observations suggest explanations for the outstanding question why p53 mutations rather than p53 deletions arise in tumors of various origins.

Objective— Mouse aorta smooth muscle cells (SMC) express tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 1A (TNFR-1) and lymphotoxin β-receptor (LTβR). Circumstantial evidence has linked the SMC LTβR to tertiary lymphoid organogenesis in hyperlipidemic mice. Here, we explored TNFR-1 and LTβR signaling in cultured SMC. Methods and Results— TNFR-1 signaling activated the classical RelA NF-κB pathway, whereas LTβR signaling activated the classical RelA and alternative RelB NF-κB pathways, and both signaling pathways synergized to enhance p100 inhibitor processing to the p52 subunit of NF-κB. Microarrays showed that simultaneous TNFR-1/LTβR activation resulted in elevated mRNA encoding leukocyte homeostatic chemokines CCL2, CCL5, CXCL1, and CX3CL1. Importantly, SMC acquired features of lymphoid tissue organizers, which control tertiary lymphoid organogenesis in autoimmune diseases through hyperinduction of CCL7, CCL9, CXCL13, CCL19, CXCL16, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1. TNFR-1/LTβR cross-talk resulted in augmented secretion of lymphorganogenic chemokine proteins. Supernatants of TNFR-1/LTβR–activated SMC markedly supported migration of splenic T cells, B cells, and macrophages/dendritic cells. Experiments with ltbr −/− SMC indicated that LTβR-RelB activation was obligatory to generate the lymphoid tissue organizer phenotype. Conclusion— SMC may participate in the formation of tertiary lymphoid tissue in atherosclerosis by upregulation of lymphorganogenic chemokines involved in T-lymphocyte, B-lymphocyte, and macrophage/dendritic cell attraction.