The influence of murine Bactericidal/Permeability - Increasing protein on the function of dendritic cells

抗菌蛋白是先天免疫反应的重要效应分子。在病原体接触后，多形核粒细胞以及不同解剖部位的上皮细胞分泌广泛的这些蛋白作为宿主免疫防御的第一道防线。许多抗菌蛋白的释放和/或转录是由Toll样受体(TLRs)控制的，Toll样受体根据Toll样受体的不变结构识别病原体。我们最近已经鉴定出人类抗菌蛋白“杀菌/通透性增加蛋白(BPI)”的小鼠同源物。该蛋白的表达主要受TLR4调控，但其确切的调控机制尚未阐明。除了中性粒细胞外，小鼠BPI还由树突状细胞(DC)表达，并保留在细胞内。本研究的目的是分析BPI在DC中的作用。这一认识将进一步加深我们对DC如何控制吞噬的病原体和递呈抗原以促进适应性免疫反应的理解。

Antimicrobial proteins are important effector molecules of the innate immune response. Following pathogen encounter, polymorphonuclear granulocytes as well as epithelial cells at various anatomical sites secrete a broad spectrum of these proteins as a first line of host immune defense. The release and/or transcription of many antimicrobial proteins are controlled by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) that recognize pathogens based on their invariant structures. We have recently identified the mouse homologue of the human antimicrobial protein “bactericidal / permeability-increasing protein (BPI)”. The expression of this protein is mainly regulated by TLR4; however, the precise mechanism of its control has not yet been elucidated. In addition to neutrophils, mouse BPI is expressed by dendritic cells (DCs), where it remains retained intracellularly. The goal of this research is to analyze the function of BPI within DCs. This knowledge will further our understanding how DCs control phagocytozed pathogens and present antigen in order to promote the adaptive immune response.