Award details

Interaction, transport and uptake processes of proteins across the gut epithelium

Reference	BBS/E/F/00044423
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Claudio Nicoletti
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	7,000
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2010
End date	31/03/2012
Duration	24 months

Abstract

The aim of the project was to investigate the immune modulating effect of the key structures surviving digestion in the lumen and that stimulate responses via direct interaction with the gut epithelium and through differential routes of uptake across the epithelial barrier, particularly in relation to allergenicity. In close collaboration with the GIT ISP we tested the hypothesis that the interaction of food allergens and the gut epithelium is instrumental in shaping the immunological microenvironment within which the antigen-specific immune responses take place. In particular focused our attention on the immunoregulatory features of lamina propria and bone-marrow derived DCs following co-culture with IEC. The model systems that we developed with GIT ISP makes use of primary culture from either sensitised or naive mice or cell lines previously exposed to certain food allergens, using proteins belonging to the same family but from foods with apparently differing potential to act as food allergens (e.g. LTPs from peach and wheat, 7S globulins from peanut and soya). Purified and processing modified allergens are supplied from other activities in the programme. Also our attention focuses on transmucosal transport of allergens: M-cells are considered to be relatively inefficient at transporting soluble protein and the reason for the highly specific M cell-mediated transport of peanut protein remains unknown. We intend to address this issue by using isolated gut loops challenged with soluble peanut allergens. One possible explanation for the M-cell-specific transport is that the protease concentration in the mucus layer overlying the M-cell may be lower than that on neighbouring enterocytes, allowing intact protein to reach the surface of the M-cell.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Diet and Health, Immunology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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