Fc alpha RI: ligand interaction and membrane organisation.

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Antibodies tag invading viruses or bacteria thus marking them as foreign and targeting them for destruction by the immune system. In man the most prevelant antibody is IgA and this antibody provides protection from infecton in the blood and in the fluids at the surface of the lungs, gut and urinogenital tract. Once tagged by antibody the invading bacteria or antigen can be recogniseed white blood cells. These workhorses of the immune system use special molecules called Fc receptors on their surface to recognise antibody tags. The receptor for IgA tags is called the Fc alpha receptor. This receptor is essential for the normal IgA-mediated protection against infection. However in a common kidney disease IgA tags accumulate in the glomerulus of the kidney stimulating white blood cells to attack and damage the kidney. This study will explain how the Fc alpha receptor recognises IgA antibody tags. It will investigate how the presentation of different forms of the receptor and different types of IgA antibody tags contributes to immunity to infection. For example one form of the receptor has a fat molecule joined to its end. We believe this may affect where the Fc alpha recptor goes to in the white blood cell membrane and whether it can activate the white blood cell to fight the invading microorganism.