Dr. James L. Stafford > Research Projects
To clone and characterize the LITR-related sequences in zebrafish.
The discovery of LITRs in catfish is significant in that this model system is ideal for studying cellular responses and for characterizing the functional significance of immune-related genes. This is primarily due to the availability of clonal leukocyte cell lines and several antibody reagents.
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Nonetheless, we have limited genomic information about this novel immune receptor family. However, database mining revealed that LITR-like genes are also present in the zebrafish genome, which represents an important immunological system for studying the immunogenetics of these receptors.
A bioinformatics approach will be used for the identification of teleost LITR-related sequences from available genomic databases (i.e. zebrafish, pufferfish, and salmon), which will provide information regarding the chromosomal location(s) and genomic organization of these receptors. Furthermore, following the identification of LITR-related genes in zebrafish we can use established protocols including in situ hybridization, morpholino-targeted gene knockdowns, as well as the development of LITR reporter assays, to further explore the significance of teleost LITRs.
Characterization of IpLITR ligand(s)
Examination of IpLITR-mediated cellular signaling pathways
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Last Modified:2007-01-11 |