Award details

Studentship: Ribosome profiling of cattle NK cells: insights into the development of phenotypic variation and the impact on viral infection

Reference	BBS/E/I/00001999
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor John Hammond
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr ABDESSAMAD TAHIRI-ALAOUI
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	46,532
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	06/10/2014
End date	31/03/2017
Duration	29 months

Abstract

NK cell functions span both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system and are essential in controlling viral infections. However, before an NK cell becomes functional it has to be 'licensed' to ensure it does not kill healthy host cells. Licensing and subsequent immune functions are all mediated by a diverse array of cell surface receptors many of which recognise equally diverse MHC class I ligands. This natural genetic diversity creates individuals that differ in their response to particular pathogens. We have established that cattle possess the most diverse receptor and ligand gene repertoire studied to date. The transcription of these receptors varies between animals and between individual NK cells within the same animal. Strikingly the transcription of particular receptors is dictated by the MHC genotype of the individual animal, an entirely novel finding. Consequently NK cell mediated immune responses between individual cattle are likely to be highly variable, and a pool of natural genetic variation exists that could be exploited to improve disease resistance. Our hypothesis is that the NK cell response to viral infection is determined by an animal's NK cell receptor and MHC genotype. Aim 1: characterise and compare NK cell receptor translation patterns in vivo. Aim 2: characterise and compare NK cell responses to viral exposure in vitro.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Animal Health, Immunology, Microbiology
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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