IMMUNOLOGIC STUDIES IN ECTOTHERMIC VERTEBRATES

描述（改编自研究者摘要）：总体 该项目的目的是更好地了解选择性细胞和 适应性免疫反应的亚细胞方面。 拟议的研究是 专注于海峡鲶鱼，一种代表经济上最重要的硬骨鱼 是美国重要的淡水养殖品种。 具体目标是 四 第一个将集中在鲶鱼B细胞，将包括 免疫球蛋白相关辅助分子的结构和功能评估 以及新发现的鲶鱼IgD重链同源物。 第二 将集中在鲶鱼的T细胞，并将包括结构和 鲶鱼T细胞受体和IL-1受体的功能评估。 的 第三个是描述新发现的鲶鱼种群 细胞毒性细胞，以确定它们是否是 对MHC分子具有反应性的T细胞毒性细胞（CTL）或一种新型的 NK细胞。 最后，将努力确定机制， 由此鲶鱼外周血白细胞可以容易地“永生化”， 功能活性的长期二倍体细胞系没有明显的 转换策略，再刺激或外源性因素;强调将 致力于确定端粒酶，热休克蛋白， 肿瘤抑制因子和癌基因产物。 目前，渠道 鲶鱼是唯一一种硬骨鱼， 体外功能和分子生物学评估可以容易地 在各种当代免疫学问题的背景下进行。 因此，该物种必须被视为一种重要的“低等脊椎动物”。 用于研究适应性免疫的模型系统。 很可能 完成这些拟议的研究将产生重要的新的和 关于免疫的基本和应用方面的明确信息 我是马根尼

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the Investigator's abstract): The overall objective of this project is to better understand selective cellular and subcellular aspects of adaptive immune responses. The proposed studies are focused on the channel catfish, a teleost representing the economically most important freshwater aquaculture species in the USA. The specific aims are four. The first will be focused on catfish B-cells and will include structural and functional assessments of Ig-associated accessory molecules and the newly discovered catfish homolog of the IgD heavy chain. The second will be focused on catfish T-cells and will include structural and functional assessments of catfish T-cell receptors and Il-1 receptors. The third will involve characterizing a population of newly discovered catfish cytotoxic cells with a view to determining if they are the fish homologs of T cytotoxic cells (CTL) with reactivity for MHC molecules or a novel type of NK cells. Finally, attempts will be undertaken to define the mechanism(s) whereby catfish peripheral blood leukocytes can be readily "immortalized" to functionally active long-term diploid cell lines without apparent transformation maneuvers, restimulation or exogenous factors; emphasis will be devoted to ascertaining the roles of telomerase, heat shock proteins, tumor suppressors and oncogene products. At the present time the channel catfish represents the only teleost wherein numerous different interrelated in vitro functional and molecular biological assessments can be readily conducted in the context of a variety of contemporary immunological issues. Hence this species must be considered as an important "lower vertebrate" model system for studying adaptive immunity. It seems likely that completion of these proposed studies will yield important novel and definitive information regarding both basic and applied aspects of immune phylogeny.