Project description:One of the most common genetic backgrounds for mice used as model to investigate human diseases is the BALB/c strain. This work is aimed to characterize the pattern of natural anti-carbohydrate antibodies present in serum of BALB/c mice by printed glycan array technology. Natural antibodies from serum of BALB/c mice interacted with at least 70 glycans from a library of 419 different carbohydrate structures. However, only a restricted number of these (12, ~17%) were highly recognized by natural antibodies, and shared by more than 80% of mice under examination. This conserved pattern differed dramatically from that of humans. This finding together with not identical repertoires of antibodies between individual mice should be specially considered when mouse models are intended to be used for investigation of human natural antibodies in different biomedical research and diagnostic contexts.
Project description:Ixodes scapularis are an important vector for at least six tick-borne human pathogens, including the predominant North American Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The ability for these ticks to survive in nature is credited, in part, to their ability to feed on a variety of hosts without excessive activation of the vertebrate immune system. While the ability for nymphal ticks to feed on a variety of hosts has been well-documented, the host-parasite interactions between larval I. scapularis and different vertebrate hosts is relatively unexplored. Here we report on the changes in the vertebrate transcriptome present at the larval tick bite site using the natural I. scapularis host Peromyscus leucopus, a non-natural rodent host Mus musculus (BALB/c), and humans. We note substantially less evidence of inflammation in P. leucopus compared to BALB/c mice and pronounced evidence of inflammation in humans. These data suggest that larval I. scapularis may have a reduced ability to suppress host immunity in non-natural hosts and expand our overall understanding of I. scapularis feeding.
Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility.
