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:This project focuses on developing highly specific monoclonal antibodies for detecting citrullinated proteins while minimizing cross-reactivity with homocitrullination. Citrullination, a post-translational modification catalyzed by PAD enzymes, plays key roles in immunity, inflammation, and disease. However, current detection methods lack sensitivity and specificity, limiting their utility. To address this, we employed a motif-based approach using PAD sequence preferences to generate monoclonal antibodies. Rats were immunized with a pool of over 490,000 citrullinated peptides representative of human tissue proteomes, and two antibody clones could be established and validated using ELISA. For further testing, citrullinated and homocitrullinated samples were generated in vitro, and the presence and content of the respective modification confirmed using mass spectrometry. These samples, as well as ionomycin-activated human neutrophils, were used to evaluate antibody performance in western blotting, where they demonstrated high sensitivity, specificity, and quantitative detection capabilities. These novel antibodies provide valuable tools for studying citrullination dynamics and have promising applications in biomarker discovery and disease diagnostics.
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.