Visit of Prof. Nicholas J. Gay to the laboratory of immunochemistry and glycobiology in order to consolidate research on TLRs activation by pathogens lectins

• Grant number: 12/21246-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: March 30, 2013
• End date: April 05, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Immunochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Maria Cristina Roque Antunes Barreira
• Grantee: Maria Cristina Roque Antunes Barreira
• Visiting researcher: Nicholas J. Gay
• Visiting researcher institution: University of Cambridge, England
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

A novel line of investigation developed by our group concerns the property of pathogens lectins of inducing TLRs activation by establishing interactions with N-linked glycans of the receptors molecule. This research is focused on the lectins TgMIC-1 and TgMIC-4 from Toxoplasma gondii and paracoccin of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. They recognize syalic acid, beta-galactose and GlcNAc, respectively. The lectin binding to oligosaccharides containing those sugar residues in strategically terminal positions triggers activation of different TLRs and induces inflammatory cytokines releasing. It explains the observation that lectin administration in vivo induces Th1 immunity and confers resistant to infections caused by the mentioned pathogens. Interestingly, resistance induced by each lectin was reverted in TLR KO mice. The study is being detailed by determining (1) the role played by co-receptors in the activation induced by each pathogen lectin, in collaboration with Dr. Igor de Almeida from University of Texas, El Paso, USA, and (2) the N-glycan(s) targeted by each studied lectin, in collaboration with Dr. Nicholas Gay, from the University of Cambridge, UK. We intend to create the opportunity of defining the direction of our further steps of the investigation and to involve the students in the research planning, since it will certainly include periods of students training in the collaborators' laboratories. (AU)