A novel Galectin type as a Surface Receptor for Intracellular Parasites

牡蛎被赋予了有效的免疫机制，成功地对抗了大多数传染病。然而，原生动物寄生虫Perkinsus marinus会在牡蛎中引起皮尔莫病，并导致牡蛎数量的灾难性下降和对北美大西洋和墨西哥湾沿岸河口生态系统的破坏。在无脊椎动物和脊椎动物物种中，对微生物病原体的识别部分是通过名为凝集素的碳水化合物结合蛋白实现的。最近发现的一种凝集素(CvGal)与病原菌、微藻和寄生虫P.marinus结合，导致了CvGal代表一种识别病原体和藻类食物的机制的假说，这种防御和取食机制被P.marinus颠覆进入宿主。本项目将通过表征牡蛎中的CvGal和其他相关蛋白质，并研究CvGal在免疫防御、取食和宿主-寄生虫相互作用中的生物学作用(S)来验证这一假说。通过深入研究牡蛎中的CvGal和其他Galectins，将对凝集素在免疫和摄食功能中尚未描述的生物学功能有了新的见解，并更深入地了解具有医学和兽医意义的细胞内寄生虫的进入机制。鉴于牡蛎病的区域相关性，该项目可能有助于制定新的干预战略，以恢复自然和养殖的牡蛎种群。牡蛎也非常适合在课堂上整合免疫识别和宿主-寄生虫生物学的基本科学原理。该项目将包括来自巴尔的摩地区的本科生、高中生和教师，他们大多是来自少数族裔的实习生，通过与位于海洋生物技术中心的附属教育项目Science Tech的合作伙伴关系，以及培训计划，如专家(NSF)、切萨皮克教师研究奖学金(NOAA)、生活教室、独创性、巴尔的摩社区学院，以及霍华德和巴尔的摩县的导师计划，参与其中。

The oyster is endowed with efficient immune mechanisms that are successful in fighting most infectious diseases. The protozoan parasite Perkinsus marinus, however, causes Dermo disease in oysters and is responsible for the catastrophic decline of oyster populations and damage to the estuarine ecosystem along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. In invertebrate and vertebrate species, recognition of microbial pathogens is achieved in part by carbohydrate-binding proteins named lectins. The recent discovery of a lectin (CvGal) that binds to pathogenic bacteria, microalgae, and the parasite P. marinus, has led to the hypothesis that CvGal represent a mechanism for recognition of pathogens and algal food, and that this defense and feeding mechanism is subverted by P. marinus to gain entry into the host. This project will test this hypothesis by characterizing CvGal and other related proteins in the oyster and investigating the biological role(s) of CvGal within the context of immune defense, feeding, and host-parasite interactions. By thoroughly investigating CvGal and other galectins in the oyster, novel insight will be gained into yet undescribed biological functions of lectins in immune and feeding functions, and a more thorough understanding of entry mechanisms of intracellular parasites of medical and veterinary relevance. Given the regional relevance of oyster disease, this project may contribute to novel intervention strategies to restore natural and farmed oyster populations. The oyster is also well suited for classroom integration of fundamental scientific principles of immune recognition and host-parasite biology. This project will involve the participation of undergraduates and high school students and teachers mostly from underrepresented minorities from the Baltimore area, both as interns at the bench and in the classroom, through partnerships with SciTech, an affiliated educational program located at the Center of Marine Biotechnology, and training programs such as ExPERT (NSF), Chesapeake Teacher Research Fellowship (NOAA), Living Classrooms, Ingenuity, Baltimore Community College, and mentorship programs from Howard and Baltimore Counties.