CeTICS - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling
| Grant number: | 18/18633-3 |
| Support type: | Regular Research Grants |
| Duration: | February 01, 2019 - January 31, 2021 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Biochemistry |
| Principal Investigator: | Isaias Glezer |
| Grantee: | Isaias Glezer |
| Home Institution: | Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Assoc. researchers: | Bettina Malnic ; Marcos Yukio Yoshinaga ; Sayuri Miyamoto |
Abstract
CD36 is a membrane glycoprotein associated with various biological processes, including fatty acids internalization and utilization, and ligand presentation for receptors that activate innate immune system cells. CD36 is a multifunctional receptor due to its presence in varied cell types and also for the diversity of its unrelated ligands. Recently, we characterized CD36 expression in a subpopulation of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). However, more studies are necessary in order to elucidate CD36 physiological roles in the nervous system. As only one odorant receptor (OR/Olfr) transcript has been unequivocally identified in CD36-positive OSNs, we plan to characterize other olfactory related genes co-expressed with Cd36. In addition, we aim to analyze if there is any functional relationship between the identified receptors and CD36. We will also use global expression profile (transcriptomics) in order to reveal genes impacted by CD36 genetic ablation in order to search for molecular functions that are singular for CD36-positive OSNs. Lastly, we plan to investigate lipid composition changes in different tissues in order to evaluate the impact of CD36-loss of function. Altogether, the different approaches will help to reveal CD36 roles in the nervous system. (AU)