Investigation of the human granulocytes signaling pathways triggered by the ArtinM, MIC1, MIC4, and paracoccin lectins

• Grant number: 15/10155-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Cristina Roque Antunes Barreira
• Grantee: Rafael Ricci de Azevedo
• Supervisor: Denis Girard
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/13419-7 - Activation and survival of neutrophils induced by ArtinM: signaling pathways and mechanisms that favor protection against intracellular pathogens, BP.DR

Abstract

By interacting with glycoconjugates on the surface of immune cells, lectins can trigger cell activation and work as valuable immunomodulatory agents. Our research group has been working with plant and microbial lectins that induce efficient responses against infection by intracellular pathogens. Some of these lectins act on neutrophils, triggering migration, degranulation, cytokine release and other events that favor protection against pathogens. Considering that activated neutrophils, beyond fighting against pathogens, account for exacerbated inflammation and tissue injury, full comprehension of how these cells respond to the lectins stimulation is mandatory to allow the safety use of these molecules, or their analogous, as immunomodulatory agents. Our goal is to evaluate the involvement of PI3K, p42/p44/MAPK, PTK, p38MAPK, JNK, PKC, NF-kB, and NLRP3 signaling pathways in the neutrophils response to lectins stimulation. For this purposal, we will stimulate human neutrophils, during different periods, with the ArtinM, MIC1, MIC4, and Paracoccin lectins, and perform western blot analyses to detect the influence of the mentioned signaling pathways in the cells activation. In addition, we will compare the cytokines production, phagocytic capacity and degranulation of neutrophils that were pre-treated with specific signaling pathways inhibitors, before being stimulated with each one of the assayed lectins. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

RICCI-AZEVEDO, R.; GONCALES, R. A.; ROQUE-BARREIRA, M. C.; GIRARD, D.. Human neutrophils are targets to paracoccin, a lectin expressed by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Inflammation Research, v. 67, n. 1, p. 31-41, JAN 2018. (15/10155-7, 12/13419-7)