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Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in priming naive T cells. Using an in vitro priming system, we show that DCs incubated with Ixodes ricinus tick saliva initiate the Th2 differentiation of CD4+T cells. As determined with reverse transcription–PCR, the expression of IL-4 mRNA by these cells is higher than IFN-γ mRNA. Early endogenous production of IL-4 is thought to be important during the in vitro interaction of saliva-pulsed DCs with CD4+T cells. Its neutralization with specific mAbs inhibits the development of IL-4-secreting Th2 cells. Moreover, differentiated Th2 cells proliferate only when saliva-pulsed DCs and IL-1β are added together early in the primary culture. As demonstrated by FACS analysis, the treatment in vitro of saliva-pulsed DCs by IL-1β enhanced the expression of B7 and mainly CD40 co-stimulatory molecules, which provide sufficient signals to stimulate sensitized CD4+T cell proliferation. On the other hand, DCs treated with tick saliva only up-regulated mostly B7-2 co-stimulator expression and this was associated with differentiation of naive CD4+T cells into Th2 type of cells. The in vitro priming system is suitable to investigate the major elements implicated in the anti-tick immune response such as naive CD4+T cells, whole DCs population and tick saliva, and it can provide the possibility to delimit further the saliva molecules, the DC subsets and the type of host cells involved in the Th2 polarization. Corresponding in vivo experiments involving subcutaneous injection of tick saliva-pulsed DCs into BALB/c mice also elicited a Th2 immune response. Ex vivo cultures of draining lymph node T cells stimulated with tick saliva produced higher IL-4 : IFN-γ ratios compared with controls, confirming the relevance obtained in the in vitro priming model. These experiments demonstrate the importance of tick saliva in priming DCs to initiate a Th2-biased immune response in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract??Nest structures of two termite species (Trinervitermesspp.) with epigeal (above-ground) mounds were analyzed to compare their nutrient status with that of adjacent soils. To take into account soil variability, the observations and samplings were made in three toposequences of different and representative West African savanna soils. The data showed the high degree of adaptation of these termite species to a large range of soil types and environments. Mounds ofTrinervitermes geminatusandTrinervitermes trinervius, both grass-feeders, contained more clay, organic matter (OM), and exchangeable cations than the surrounding surface layer soil. The storage of OM and exchangeable cations was determined forT. geminatusnests and compared to the surrounding soil. Despite substantial nutrient storage in mounds, its total weight appeared low when compared to the nutrient storage in the surrounding 0?15?cm of soil surface layer. This illustrates how contradictory points of view on the use of termite mounds in agriculture need to be clarified using a classical approach that takes into account data by species; and this also evaluates the contribution of different termite mounds to nutrient fluxes and storage and the exact stocking rate of living mounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]