Immunomodulatory activity of parasporin of Bacillus thuringiensis on human lymphocytes and monocytes

• Grant number: 11/20455-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Ramon Kaneno
• Grantee: Victoria Elizabeth Galvão
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Bacillus thuringiensis is an environmental highly-distributed bacterium, which produces a crystalisable group of proteins with toxic effect to several insects and nematodes. Recently it was described a subgroup of these proteins called parasporins (PS), which shows cytotoxic activity against human and animal tumor cells. However, most of studies have investigated their direct effect on tumor cells and there is just a few knowledge on the interaction of parasporins with immunocompetent cells. Thereby, this study was designed for testing the hypothesis that parasporin of TC 2.3.1R6 B. thuringiensis can be an immunoestimulant factor on human lymphocytes and monocytes. First, we will analyze the toxicity on lymphocytes and monocytes. Futher we will evaluated the ability of parasporin to induce or modulate the proliferative activity of lymphocytes and production of IFN-g and IL-10. The role on monocyte activation will be assessed by analyzing the in vitro phagocytic activity, the production of oxygen and nitrogen reactive metabolites (H2O2 and NO), and the production of tumoral necrosis factor (TNF-a) (AU)