Award details

Studentship: MDV-specific T cell responses

Reference	BBS/E/I/00002529
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Shahriar Behboudi
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	26,550
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	07/07/2014
End date	31/03/2017
Duration	32 months

Abstract

Marek’s disease (MD) is a lymphoproliferative disease of chickens caused by Marek’s disease virus (MDV) or Gallid herpesvirus 2. The life cycle of MDV in chickens constitutes inhalation of cell-free MDV by chickens, followed by transfer of the virus from lungs to lymphoid tissues. Within lymphoid tissues, the virus proceeds to a cytolytic phase in B cells, which is then followed by latent and neoplastic phases in T cells resulting in clinical manifestations. Productive infection, which leads to the release of infectious virus particles, occurs in feather follicles. Immunity against MD is dependent on interactions between innate and acquired immune mechanisms. Among the acquired mechanisms, T cells play an important role in immunity. Cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes (CTL) are induced in the course of MDV infection and CTL responses are targeted towards infected host cells that express MDV antigens, such as meq and pp38. CTL responses may be an important contributing factor in genetic resistance to MD, perhaps by preventing reactivation of MDV from the latent phase in resistant and not in susceptible chickens. The proposed research project investigates host-pathogen interactions, particularly T cell-mediated immune response to MDV in chickens. In this project, we aim to identify CD8+ T cell epitopes within MDV-encoded proteins such as meq, and pp38 and analyse the functional abilities of these MDV specific CD8+ T cells in resistant and susceptible chicken lines. In brief, the results from this proposal will provide tools to identify-MDV specific CD8+ T cells in chicken and establish whether there is any association between genetic resistance to the infection and the quantity/ quality of MDV specific CD8+ T cell responses.

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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