Project description
Good and bad bacteria in the gut may help us understand immunity mechanisms better
Dendritic cells and their pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) are the first in a long line of immune warriors. Innate PRRs sense an infection or pathogen, inducing an intracellular signalling cascade involving a family of kinases (enzymes that catalyse addition of phosphate groups to other molecules). It also lets the dendritic cells know to present the antigens to T cells, activating the adaptive immunity pathway. However, the actual role of the kinases in dendritic cell biology remains unclear. The EU-funded PI3K-in-tolerance project is looking for the connection in a mouse model of colitis. Insight could help us understand how our gut ignores healthy bacteria while going after pathogens, and what happens when these systems falter.
Objective
PI3Ks controls important biological processes immunity controlling vesicular trafficking and cell signaling events triggered by pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs). The engagement of PRRs leading to DC antigen processing and presentation (APP) is essential for the bridge between innate and adaptive immunity. Thus, DCs are crucial for resistance against pathogens, while concurrently maintaining tolerance to the commensal microbiota and environmental antigens. Crohn’s disease (CD)-like pathology has been documented in patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), originating from mutations in genes encoding NADPH oxidase (NOX2) subunits or RAC2 GTPase. Both PRR-activated NOX2 and RAC2 are critical for inducing phagosomal reactive oxygen species (ROS) linked to APP processes in the DC. Thus, that dysregulated PRR signalling and NOX2 activity in the DC phagosome, may be key steps involved in some of the pathology observed in CD. The PRR family member NOD2 senses muramyl dipeptide in bacteria. NOD2 was the first susceptibility gene identified for CD and associated with tolerance mechanisms mediating intestinal homeostasis to gut microbiota. Recently, interactions between NOD2 and microbiome were shown to stimulate Treg activity at the mucosal sites. Bacteria-derived outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) from gut commensal Bacteriodes fragilis induce mucosal tolerance by DC-intrinsic activation of NOD2 and enabling DCs to induce IL10 production from Tregs. It is known that OMVs require NOX2-induced ROS to be released for APP and presented by MHCII to activate CD4 Tregs. Our preliminary data shows that mice inactivated in the kinase domain of PI3K delta spontaneously develop colitis in the presence of an intestinal opportunistic pathogens and show defects in antigen presentation in DCs in vitro. Based on these results, I propose to investigate the DC-intrinsic PI3K role in APP functions that control gut tolerance in this animal model of colitis.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology cell signaling
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pathology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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E1 4NS LONDON
United Kingdom
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