Agri-News, November 14, 2006, Vol. 6, no. 23

Crop and livestock summaries for the state of Iowa, produced by the Iowa Department of Agriculture.

Human alveolar macrophages infected by virulent bacteria expressing SipB are a major source of active interleukin-18.

Recent publications have demonstrated that the protease caspase-1 is responsible for the processing of pro-interleukin 18 (IL-18) into the active form. Studies on cell lines and murine macrophages have shown that the bacterial invasion factor SipB activates caspase-1, triggering cell death. Thus, we investigated the role of SipB in the activation and release of IL-18 in human alveolar macrophages (AM), which are the first line of defense against inhaled pathogens. Under steady-state conditions, AM are a more important source of IL-18 than are dendritic cells (DC) and monocytes. Cytokine production by AM and DC was compared after both types of cells had been infected with a virulent strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and an isogenic sipB mutant, which were used as an infection model. Infection with virulent Salmonella led to marked cell death with features of apoptosis while both intracellular activation and release of IL-18 were demonstrated. In contrast, the sipB mutant did not induce such cell death or the release of active IL-18. The specific caspase-1 inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CMK blocked the early IL-18 release in AM infected with the virulent strain. However, the type of Salmonella infection did not differentially regulate IL-18 gene expression. We concluded that the bacterial virulence factor SipB plays an essential posttranslational role in the intracellular activation of IL-18 and the release of the cytokine in human AM.

Iowa Workforce Bi-Monthly, August-September 2011, Issue 23

Iowa Workforce Development's bi-monthly newsletter.

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, September 23, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 15

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

EPI Update, September 23, 2011

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, November 23, 2011

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, December 23, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 19

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Fiscal Update, December 23, 2011

The Fiscal Division newsletter, published weekly during session and periodically during the interim.

EPI Update, December 23, 2011

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

Iowa Crop and Weather Report, August 8, 2011, Vol. 11. no. 23

Report produced by the The Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Climatology Bureau. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October.

Iowa Crop and Weather Report, July 25, 2011, Vol. 11. no. 23

Report produced by the The Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Climatology Bureau. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October.

Iowa Crop and Weather Report, May 23, 2011, Vol. 11. no. 12

Report produced by the The Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Climatology Bureau. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October.