Characterizing the role of host blood cells in a beneficial symbiosis

表征宿主血细胞在有益共生中的作用

• 批准号: 0958006
• 负责人: Spencer Nyholm
• 金额: $ 61.65万
• 依托单位: University of Connecticut
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-02-01 至 2015-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0958006&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Characterizing; role; host; blood; cells

Many animals enter into life-long beneficial associations with bacteria. These symbioses are often species-specific, so that effective mechanisms must ensure the establishment of stable partnerships. The symbiosis between the squid, Euprymna scolopes, and the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri is a useful model for understanding the influence of beneficial bacteria on animal colonization and development. Juvenile squid hatch without V. fischeri and must obtain them from seawater that contains few potential symbionts and many non-symbiotic bacteria. The host must maintain these symbionts throughout its life while excluding other bacteria. Recent studies suggest that the immune system plays a significant role in mediating these interactions. Host blood cells (hemocytes) have different responses to symbiotic and non-symbiotic bacteria; colonization alters the ability of these cells to recognize symbiotic bacteria, suggesting that the immune system of the host becomes "educated" to the presence of the symbionts. Because invertebrates lack adaptive immunity (the ability to produce antibodies that lead to immunological memory), this specificity must be mediated through the host's innate immune system. This project will explore how host hemocytes mediate specificity in the squid/vibrio symbiosis. The genes and proteins expressed by these hemocytes will be characterized in response to colonization and to symbiotic and non-symbiotic bacteria. Hemocyte responses to V. fischeri and environmental bacteria will be characterized during the early onset of the association to understand the potential mechanisms by which the host's immune system recognizes and becomes adapted ("educated") to the symbiont. This project will integrate research with education by contributing to the training of undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students including those from underrepresented groups. Results will be disseminated through scientific publications as well as a public symbiosis website.

许多动物与细菌建立了终生有益的联系。这些共生关系往往是物种特异性的，因此有效的机制必须确保建立稳定的伙伴关系。鱿鱼、Euprymna scolopes 和生物发光细菌费氏弧菌之间的共生是了解有益细菌对动物定植和发育影响的有用模型。幼年鱿鱼在没有费氏弧菌的情况下孵化，必须从含有很少潜在共生体和许多非共生细菌的海水中获取它们。宿主在其一生中必须维持这些共生体，同时排除其他细菌。最近的研究表明，免疫系统在介导这些相互作用中发挥着重要作用。宿主血细胞（血细胞）对共生菌和非共生菌有不同的反应；定植改变了这些细胞识别共生细菌的能力，这表明宿主的免疫系统“接受”了共生菌的存在。由于无脊椎动物缺乏适应性免疫（产生导致免疫记忆的抗体的能力），因此这种特异性必须通过宿主的先天免疫系统介导。该项目将探讨宿主血细胞如何介导鱿鱼/弧菌共生的特异性。这些血细胞表达的基因和蛋白质将根据对定植以及共生和非共生细菌的反应来表征。 血细胞对费氏弧菌和环境细菌的反应将在关联的早期阶段进行表征，以了解宿主免疫系统识别并适应（“教育”）共生体的潜在机制。 该项目将通过促进本科生、研究生和博士后学生（包括来自弱势群体的学生）的培训，将研究与教育结合起来。 结果将通过科学出版物以及公共共生网站传播。