不同年龄牦牛免疫系统发育特征及其对高原环境的适应机制

高寒低氧作为一种应激因素，对人及动物机体的功能活动将产生不利影响；而世居高原的人和动物，在长期的进化过程中对高原环境产生了良好的适应，并形成了各自的适应机制，尤其是免疫系统。本项目拟以牦牛为研究对象，采用组织学技术和电子显微技术，观察其主要免疫器官的组织结构和超微结构，弄清免疫器官的发育特征；并采用免疫组织化学方法及流式细胞技术，观察其免疫细胞的发育过程，分析各免疫细胞的变化规律及相互关系；然后采用实时荧光定量PCR和Western-blot技术，检测其不同发育阶段主要免疫分子和相关细胞因子表达，揭示其特有的免疫分子机制。在此基础上，比较不同海拔高度牦牛免疫器官、免疫细胞、免疫分子及高寒低氧环境相关因子的差异性，以揭示牦牛免疫系统与高原环境的关联性及可能的适应性机制。本研究将为高原动物的免疫遗传学和免疫生物学等相关研究奠定基础，并为高原条件下疫病的防治提供依据。

To adapt the environment of cold and hypoxia, mammals living in high altitude area have been evolved into their own unique anatomy, histology and physiology, especially their immune systems. The present study is aimed to study the development characteristics of the immune system and its adaptive mechanism to altitude environment in yaks. Conventional histological methods and electron microscopy techniques will be used to observe the histological structure and cell ultrastructure of the main immune organs to make certain their morphological characteristics. Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry will be used to determine the developmental process of different immune cells and to analysis the relationship between the cells. The real-time PCR and Western-blot technique will also be used to detect the expression of main related immune molecules and cytokines in the different developmental stages of yak to clarify its unique molecular mechanism of immune system. Thereafter, the difference of immune organs, immune cells, immune molecules and altitude environment-related factors (HIF family and HSP family) in the yaks living in the different altitude will be determined to find out the relationship between immune system and altitude environment, and to reveal the possible adaptive mechanism to altitude environment in yaks.