Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination

Granulysin is a cytotoxic and proinfl ammatory effector molecule

International Conference & Exhibition on Vaccines & Vaccination

22-24 Nov 2011 Philadelphia Airport Marriott, USA

Veronica E. Calderon, Ediane Silva, Lorena Santos, W. Ray Waters, Mitchell V Palmer, Tyler C. Thacker, William R. Jacobs Jr., Michelle H. Larsen, Catherine Vilcheze, and D. Mark Estes

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Vaccines Vaccin

Abstract:

Granulysin is a cytotoxic and proinfl ammatory eff ector molecule found in cytolytic granules of T lymphocytes and NK cells. It is expressed by CD4, CD8, and γδ T cells and NK cells, peripherally and in granulomatous tissues. Broadly antimicrobial, granulysin can lyse tuberculosis bacteria extracellularly, and intracellularly following infi ltration of the cellular membrane. Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is a pleotropic cytokine involved in an innate and adaptive immune response. Th e primary producers of IFN-γ are T, NK, and NKT cells. IFN-γ is essential for a Th 1 immune response and regulates T cell diff erentiation, activation, expansion, homeostasis, and survival. Its eff ects on host defense and immune regulation include antimicrobial activity; more importantly, IFN-γ is involved in the killing of intracellular pathogens, such as M. tb. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an essential compound in hundreds of biological reactions. Mycobacteria can synthesize NAD+ via the de novo pathway, which involves the nadA, nadB, and nadC enzymes, or the salvage pathway, which involves the pncA and pncB enzymes. Th e strains used in this study include M. bovisRavenel (M. bovis�?RD1), M. bovisRavenel�?nadABC, and M. bovisRavenel�?nadABC pMV261::pncA. M. bovis�?nadABCis defi cient in the NAD+de novo and salvage pathway, since it also contains a mutation in the pncA gene. While M. bovisRavenel�?nadABC pMV261::pncA contains the M. tbpncAgene cloned into the replicated plasmid pMV261

Biography :

Dr. Mark Estes is currently the senior scientist at Dept of Pathology University of Texas Medical Branch. He is his Post doctoral studies at University of Texas in 1992. He served as director at vaccine development at Galveston National Laboratory in 2011. He also served as director for program in immunology at Institute of Human Infections and Immunity