Fc alpha RI: ligand interaction and membrane organisation.

抗体标记入侵的病毒或细菌，从而将它们标记为外来物，并通过免疫系统将其摧毁。在人类中，最普遍的抗体是伊加，这种抗体在血液和肺、肠道和泌尿生殖道表面的液体中提供保护免受感染。一旦被抗体标记，入侵的细菌或抗原就可以是白细胞，白色血细胞。这些免疫系统的主力使用其表面称为Fc受体的特殊分子来识别抗体标签。伊加标签的受体被称为Fc α受体。该受体对于正常的免疫球蛋白A介导的抗感染保护作用至关重要。然而，在常见的肾脏疾病中伊加标签在肾脏的肾小球中积累，刺激白色血细胞攻击并损害肾脏。本研究将解释Fc α受体如何识别伊加抗体标签。它将研究不同形式的受体和不同类型的伊加抗体标签的呈现如何有助于对感染的免疫。例如，受体的一种形式有一个脂肪分子连接到它的末端。我们相信这可能会影响Fc α受体在白色血细胞膜中的位置，以及它是否能激活白色血细胞来对抗入侵的微生物。

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.