Project description:To investigate the central control of water homeostasis in the dromedary camel, we have performed transcriptomic studies on the supraoptic nucleus samples from camels under control (water ad libitum) and dehydrated (water deprivation for 20 days) conditions by RNA sequencing. We have identified genes that change in expression in response to hyperosmotic challenge and transcriptomic response networks that might be essential for adaptations of camel to live and thrive in aird desert environment.
Project description:The “ship of the desert”, the one-humped Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius), has a remarkable capacity to survive in conditions of extreme heat without needing to drink water. One of the ways that this is achieved is through the actions of the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin (AVP) and the natriuretic hormone oxytocin (OXT), both of which are made in a specialised part of the brain called the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system (HNS), but exert their effects at the level of the kidney to, respectively, provoke water conservation and salt excretion. Interestingly, our electron microscopy studies have shown that the ultrastructure of the camel HNS changes according to season, suggesting that in the arid conditions of summer the dromedary’s HNS is in a state of permanent activation, in preparation for the likely prospect of water deprivation. Based on our camel genome sequence, we have carried out an RNAseq analysis of the camel HNS in summer and winter.
2019-05-17 | GSE131361 | GEO
Project description:Phage Display Antibody Library selected against two 24 bases DNA hairpins
| PRJNA1028404 | ENA
Project description:High-throughtput sequencing of human Fyn SH2 domain from phage display library screening
Project description:Using a synthetic library of humanized llama single domain antibodies, we identified a novel surface marker for human naturally-occuring monocyte-derived DCs. Proteomics Mass-spectrometry was used to idenitfy the target of this antibody. We found that our antibody targets an extra-cellular domain of LSP-1.
Project description:Genetic techniques such as antibody phage display have indicated an oligoclonal autoantibody response in various autoimmune diseases including pemphigus. These techniques have limited sampling of B cell clones. Characterization by mass spectometry of pemphigus serum autoantibodies affinity-purified on the autoantigen desmoglein indicates a much more polyclonal response. Conversely, many genetically detectable anti-desmoglein B cells do not contribute detectably to the serum antibody response. There is no convergence of the autoantibody response among patients, as determined by CDR3 sequence or heavy chain variable gene usage, implying targeting of these genes will not be a useful therapeutic strategy. Longitudinal analysis of autoantibodies over years indicates that, although many antibody clones persist, the proportion of each clonal antibody changes. These studies indicate a dynamic and very diverse autoantibody response not revealed by genetic studies, and explain why similar overall anti-desmoglein titers may give variable disease activity.
Project description:Vaccination reduces morbidity and mortality from pneumonia but its effect on the tissue-level response to infection is still poorly understood. We evaluated pneumonia disease progression, acute phase response and lung gene expression profiles in mice inoculated intranasally with virulent gram-positive Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype (ST) 3, with and without prior immunization with pneumococcal polysaccharide ST 3 (PPS3), or co-immunization with PPS3 and with a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Pneumonia severity was assessed in the acute phase, 5, 12, 24 and 48 h post-inoculation (p.i.) and the resolution phase of 7 days p.i. Primary PPS3 specific antibody production was upregulated and IgM binding to pneumococci increased in PPS3-immunized mice. Immunizations with PPS3 or PPS3 + LPS decreased bacterial recovery the lung and blood at 24 and 48 h and increased survival. Microarray analysis of whole lung RNA revealed significant changes in the acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) between noninfected and infected mice, which were attenuated by immunization. SAA transcripts were higher in the liver and lungs of infected controls, and SAA protein was elevated in serum, but decreased in PPS3-immunized mice. Thus, during a virulent pneumonia infection, prior immunization with PPS3 in an IgM-dependent manner as well as co-immunization with PPS3 + LPS attenuated pneumonia severity and promoted resolution of infection, concomitant with significant regulation of cytokine gene expression in the lungs, and acute phase proteins in the lungs, liver and serum. Each lung RNA sample represented an individual mouse, creating biological repeats for each treatment. In-vivo treatments were as follows: non-infected lung (vehicle-immunized) control (n=5), infected lung (vehicle-immunized) control at 48 hr post-inoculation (n=5), PPS3 and LPS co-immunized lung at 48 hr post-inoculation (n=4) and PPS3 and LPS co-immunized lung at 7 days post-inoculation (n=4).