Xenopus, a unique comparative model to explore the role of certain heat shock proteins and non-classical MHC class Ib gene products in immune surveillance.
The heat shock proteins (HSPs) gp96 and hsp70 can elicit potent anti-tumor responses and as such have significant clinical potential. Besides cytotoxic CD8 T cell (CTLs) effectors, evidence suggests that natural killer (NK) cells and other less well-characterized cell types also play a critical role in HSP-mediated anti-tumor responses. Owing to their high degree of phylogenetic conservation, we have proposed that HSPs are ancestral agents of immune surveillance; and postulated that their immunological properties, if important, should have been conserved during evolution. We are investigating this issue using a unique non-mammalian comparative tumor-immunity model in the frog Xenopus, which allows us to focus on the relationship between HSPs, classical MHC class Ia, and non-classical MHC class Ib molecules. In addition to a transplantable lymphoid tumor in genetically defined cloned Xenopus, we are generating transgenic frogs with inducible or knocked-down (RNAi) gene expression.
Robert
Jacques
J
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY 14642, USA. jacques_robert@urmc.rochester.edu
Goyos
Ana
A
Nedelkovska
Hristina
H
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D045142:Cross-Priming / Q000276:immunology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007157:Immunologic Surveillance / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014981:Xenopus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins