Progress 10/01/08 to 04/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: No further research accomplished since 2011 report due to reassignment of principal investigator. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
No further research accomplished since 2011 report due to reassignment of principal investigator.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: No further research accomplished since 2010 report PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
No further research accomplished since 2010 report
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The South Carolina project involves conducting experimentation in pursuit of data related to immunological development and responsiveness chickens. The primary immune cell type studied is the thrombocyte. Both cellular and molecular mechanisms of innate immunity localized within the thrombocyte serve as the markers for pro-inflammatory capacity of chickens. Based on the use of bacterial or viral ligands for Toll-like receptors, it is possible to assess innate potential of different genetic types of chickens. PARTICIPANTS: Farzana Ferdous, PhD student majoring in Biological Sciences TARGET AUDIENCES: The immediate target audience was avian and poultry immunologists. There has been a growing number of researchers conducting work in the innate area of avian immunity. This particular approach with thrombocytes focused on a uniquely different set of immune cells, which like mammalian platelets, is revealing an important role of thrombocytes on vascular inflammation. It is envisioned that more information on thrombocytes will lead to a use of these cells as important inflammatory cells that contribute to severe vascular events in poultry. It is quite likely that thrombocytes play a big role in vascular inflammation associated with major diseases of poultry. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Thrombocytes possess cell-surface bound Toll-like receptors, which are directly connected to the cytoplasmic signaling cascades tied to gene expression. Our laboratory has detected the expression of TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5 and TLR7. Current experimentation has focused on examining the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen in the cell. Previous studies with bacterial LPS stimulated cells showed that many cytokines and chemokines are expressed. LPS stimulation did not induce the production of nitric oxide, an indicator of innate reactivity. When using a viral-like ligand (poly I:C) nitric oxide production was increased. Determination of the differential stimulation of chicken thrombocytes by bacterial versus viral lignads for Toll-like receptors will lead to improved stategies for addressing disease threats in chickens.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The South Carolina project involves conducting experimentation (live animal and bench) in pursuit of data related to immunological development and responsiveness of poultry, primarily chickens. Immunological assessments of innate immunity are the targets within various genetically differing types of chickens. The primary immune cell type studied is the thrombocyte. Both cellular and molecular mechanisms of innate immunity localized within the thrombocyte serve as the markers for pro-inflammatory capacity of chickens. Based on the use of bacterial or viral ligands for Toll-like receptors, it is possible to assess innate potential of different genetic types of chickens. PARTICIPANTS: Ms. Candace Hitchcock, MS Student, Microbiology, Clemson Univeristy - Ms. Hitchcock conducted her MS thesis work under this project. She examined possible genetic differences in thrombocyte responsiveness to bacterial LPS stimulation. She also submitted RNA samples to the University of Delaware for microarray analysis. She graduated in December 2010. Dr. Calvin Keeler, Professor, University of Delaware - Dr. Keeler provided microarray analysis for RNA from thrombocytes. He had several undergraduate and graduate students working in his laboratory who assisted with this work. On a broader scale, this work was conducted as part of a multi-state project group (NE 1034). TARGET AUDIENCES: The immediate target audience was avian and poultry immunologists. There has been a growing number of researchers conducting work in the innate area of avian immunity. This particular approach with thrombocytes focused on a uniquely different set of immune cells, which like mammalian platelets, is revealing an important role of thrombocytes on vascular inflammation. It is envisaged that more information on thrombocytes will lead to an use of these cells as important inflammatory cells that contribute to severe vascular events in poultry. It is quite likely that thrombocytes play a big role in vascular inflammation associated with major diseases of poultry. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Thrombocytes are the most numerous white blood cells of the avian blood. In recent years, it has be shown that thrombocytes function an a far greater capacity for innate immunity than ever imagined previously. The primary role for thrombocytes for many years was believed to be for blood clotting and phagocytosis. Recent findings reveal that thrombocytes possess cell-surface bound Toll-like receptors, which are directly connected to the cytoplasmic signaling cascades tied to gene expression. The resulting gene expression leads to protein synthesis primarily for pro-inflammatory molecules found associated with innate immune cells. Various cytokines, chemokines and ecosinoids are produced and relased by thrombocytes. Following initial experimentation for uncover gene expression events in thrombocytes, RNA was submitted for microarray analysis. The microarray analysis focused on gene expression for common pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines as well as key molecules of signal pathways linked to cell-surface Toll-like receptors. These analyses reveal numerous cytokine and chemokine genes being expressed in LPS stimulated thrombocytes. Further, many of the signal pathway molecules were found to be expressed in stimulated thrombocytes. These results clearly show a large innate immunity role for the chicken thrombocyte.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This is a new project starting on October 1, 2008, and is in essence a continuation of NE-1016 Multistate Project as NE-1034 Multistate Project. The Technical Committee met in Washington, DC in early October, 2008 to finalize reports from the previous project and to initiate new work on this project. The South Carolina portion of the project is concerned with the role of thrombocytes in the innate responses of chickens to various bacterial and viral components. The work that is to be undertaken now has expanded from real-time PCR determinations of gene expression to analysis of microarrays for signal pathway molecules related to thrombocyte stimulation through Toll-like receptors. Ligands for Toll-like receptors 3, 4, 5 and 7 have been chosen for experiments. Preliminary analysis of microarray data from untreated and LPS treated thrombocytes has shown that several genes encoding for pro-inflammatory molecules are induced by signaling through Toll-like receptor linked pathways. Many cytokine and chemokine genes are up-regulated by thrombocyte stimulation. A comparative study of gene expression patterns is being undertaken to evaluate thrombocyte responsiveness to the various Toll-like receptor ligands. The microarray analysis is being done at the University of Delaware through collaboration with a scientist there. The thrombocytes are treated at Clemson with recovery of the mRNA. The mRNA is shipped to the University of Delaware for the analysis. Results of the analysis are evaluated by both parties for assessment of expression patterns. PARTICIPANTS: Collisson, Ellen - Western University Delany, Mary - University of California at Davis Erf, Gisela - University of Arkansas Ewald, Sandra - Auburn University Keeler, C - University of Delaware Klasing, Kirk - University of California at Davis Koci, Matt - North Carolina State University Lamont, Sue - Iowa State University Miller, Marcia - City of Hope Parcells, Mark - University of Delaware Schat, K. A. - Cornell University Scott, Tom - Clemson University Sharif, Shayan - University of Guelph Taylor, Bob - University of New Hampshire Wakenell, Pat - Purdue University TARGET AUDIENCES: Poultry producers and breeders. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The outcomes and impacts of this work could change much of the current thought on the importance of thrombocytes to innate immunity. A large amount of effort has been devoted to induction of adaptive immunity in chickens through vaccinations for various diseases. This has and continues to be a prefered method for ensuring longterm immunological memory in chickens against major diseases. However, an emergence of work on innate immunity is helping to shape our thought on the role this arm of the immune system can provide to chickens, especailly young chicks raised as broilers. The need to have protection for healty growing chicks is a major concern of broiler producers. The transfer of sufficient amounts of maternal antibodies is tremedous for the health of young chicks. However, there are circumstances in which an unexpected exposure of chicks to a disease agent arises that there is no materal protection. In these cases, it is necessary for the innate system to be fully functional in these chicks in order to carry them through until adaptive immunity is establsihed. The apparent role of macrophages and heterophils has been recognized for many years, but the knowledge base on thrombocytes is lacking. With a more solid understanding of the thrombocytes role in immunity, it will be possible to take better advantage of the thrombocyte's physiology in overall protection.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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