Award details

The molecular and cellular basis of MHC-determined resistance to Marek¿s disease

Reference	BBS/E/I/00000975
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Jim Kaufman
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	3,062
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	10/10/2002
End date	30/09/2005
Duration	36 months

Abstract

The chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC) determines striking resistance or susceptibilty to Marek¿s disease (MD). MD is considered to be the most dangerous pathogen of commercial chickens, in part because the herpesvirus responsible, Marek¿s disease virus, has increased steadily in virulence over the past 40 years. It has long been thought that the MHC-determined resistance is due to cytotoxic T cells and/or Natural Killer cells, both of which recognise MHC class I molecules. We have shown that, in contrast to mammals, the overall cell surface expression level of MHC class I molecules varies over as much as a 10-fold range between different MHC haplotypes, correlating nearly exactly with the rank hierarchy of MHC-determined susceptibility to MD reported in the literature. This studentship will explore these phenomena, by using transfection and cell biology to examine the molecular basis of MHC expression levels, by using cell biology and genomics to examine the molecular basis of MHC-determined resistance, and by using genetics and flow cytometry to examine the cellular basis of MHC-determined resistance.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
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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