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Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Immunology and Infectious Disease
Role Of Antibody Isotypes In Providing Passive Protection Against Ricin Toxin, Ipneet Kaur Dhaliwal
Role Of Antibody Isotypes In Providing Passive Protection Against Ricin Toxin, Ipneet Kaur Dhaliwal
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Ricin toxin is a glycoprotein produced by the castor bean plant, Ricinus communis. Ricin is an extraordinarily potent inducer of cell death and inflammation, especially following inhalation. The toxin’s enzymatic subunit (RTA) is transported via retrograde transport into the cytoplasm of mammalian cells by the toxin’s B subunit (RTB). Once in the cytoplasm, RTA inactivates ribosomes through cleavage of ribosomal RNA. In this study, I characterized a ricin-specific monoclonal IgA antibody (mAb) known as 23D7. I confirmed that 23D7 reacts with RTA and is effective at neutralizing ricin in a Vero cell cytotoxicity assay in vitro. To localize the epitope …
Francisella Tularensis Catalase Restricts Immune Function By Impairing Trpm2 Channel Activity, Nicole Lynn Flaherty
Francisella Tularensis Catalase Restricts Immune Function By Impairing Trpm2 Channel Activity, Nicole Lynn Flaherty
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
As an innate defense mechanism, macrophages produce reactive species that weaken pathogens and serve as secondary messengers to modify signaling responses involved in immune function. The gram-negative bacterium F. tularensis utilizes its antioxidant armature to limit the host immune response but the mechanism behind this suppression has not been defined. Here we establish that F. tularensis limits Ca2+ entry thereby limiting actin reorganization and IL-6 production in a redox-dependent fashion. Wild-type (LVS) or catalase deficient F. tularensis (∆katG) show distinct profiles in their H2O2 scavenging capacity, 1 pM/sec and 0.015 pM/sec, respectively. Murine alveolar macrophages infected with ∆katG display distinct …