2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Role of membrane gangliosides in T cell development and activation
| Project/Area Number |
25840040
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Research Field |
Functional biochemistry
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| Research Institution | Tohoku Pharmaceutical University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
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| Keywords | ガングリオシド / T細胞分化 / TCR / 胸腺 / 糖鎖 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
T cell development depends on appropriate signals mediated by T cell receptors and many other receptors. Sphingolipids (gangliosides and sphingomyelin) are thought to form a platform (lipid raft) for receptor-mediated signaling.
We determined the expression profiles of gangliosides during T cell development. Ganglioside levels were greatly increased during the DN3 stage, which was coincidentally with TCRb chain expression. To determine the role of gangliosides in T cell development we prepared GM3S and GM2/GD2S double deficient mice (DKO mice) which don’t express any ganglioside species. DKO mice exhibited abnormal thymic development and greatly reduced in thymocytes. T cell development in DKO mice was arrested at the DN3 stage where TCRb chain gene arrangement occurs. These results suggest unique rafts are formed in the plasma membrane during T cell development and these rafts provide the appropriate distinct intracellular signaling events for successful differentiation.
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| Free Research Field |
糖鎖免疫学
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