Background: Recruitment of peripheral proteins to the inner membrane complex (IMC) of the malaria parasite can be mediated by N-terminal acylation. Results: Characterization of substrate determinants and identification of an IMC-localized palmitoyl acyltransferase PfDHHC1. Conclusion: Residues close to palmitoylation sites interfere with specific IMC recruitment. PfDHHC1 represents an apicomplexan-specific PAT. Significance: Dissection of palmitoylation for protein recruitment to the inner membrane complex in P. falciparum.

Little is known about cell-mediated immune responses to natural influenza infection in solid organ transplant (SOT) patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the CD4+ and CD8+ responses to influenza A and B infection in a cohort of SOT patients. We collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells at influenza diagnosis and four weeks later from 31 SOT patients during the 2017–2018 influenza season. Infection-elicited influenza-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses were measured using flow cytometry and intracellular cytokine staining and compared to responses following influenza vaccine in SOT patients. Natural infection was associated with a significant increase in CD4+ T-cell responses. For example, polyfunctional cells increased from 21 to 782 and from 193 to 1436 cells per 106 CD4+ T-cells among influenza A/H3N2 and B-infected patients (p = 0.006 and 0.004 respectively). Moreover, infection-elicited CD4+ responses were superior than vaccine-elicited responses for influenza A/H1N1 (931 vs 1; p = 0.026), A/H3N2 (647 vs 1; p = 0.041) and B (619 vs 1; p = 0.004). Natural influenza infection triggers a significant increase in CD4+ T-cell responses in SOT patients. Infection elicits significantly stronger CD4+ responses compared to the influenza vaccine and thereby likely elicits better protection against reinfection.

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Double-stranded RNA is a potent trigger of innate immune signaling, eliciting effects within virally infected cells and following release from dying cells. Given its inherent stability, extracellular dsRNA induces both local and systemic effects. Although the class A scavenger receptors (SR-As)3 mediate dsRNA entry, it is unknown if they contribute to signaling beyond ligand internalization. Here, we investigated if SR-As contribute to innate immune signaling independent of the classic TLR and RLR pathways. We generated a stable A549 human epithelial cell line with inducible expression of the Hepatitis C virus protease NS3/4A, which efficiently cleaves TRIF and IPS-1, adaptors for TLR3 and the RLRs respectively. Cells expressing NS3/4A as well as TLR3/MDA5/IPS-1−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts completely lacked antiviral activity to extracellular dsRNA relative to control cells, suggesting that SR-As do not possess signaling capacity independent of TLR3 or the RLRs. Previous studies implicated PI3K signaling in SR-A-mediated activities and in downstream production of type I interferon. We found that SR-A-mediated dsRNA internalization occurs independent of PI3K activation, while downstream signaling leading to interferon production was partially dependent on PI3K activity. Overall, these findings suggest that SR-A-mediated dsRNA internalization is independent of innate antiviral signaling.

TB has high incidence in SOTR even in low-prevalence regions but especially targets patients who originated from TB-endemic countries. Long-term TB-specific T cell responses were found in the majority of patients.