proteomics-computational-biology-2018-keynote

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E u r o S c i C o n c o n f e r e n c e o n
Protein, Proteomics and
Computational Biology
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Journal
ISSN: 2471-8084
D e c e m b e r 0 6 - 0 7 , 2 0 1 8
Am s t e r d a m , N e t h e r l a n d s
Proteomics and Computational Biology 2018
Page 17
Natural Killer T (NKT) cells are a unique T cell population characterized by
features of both the innate and adaptive immune response. Two main classes
of NKT cells (Type I and II) exist that express different antigen receptors (TCRs)
and respond to different glycolipids presented by the shared antigen-presenting
molecule CD1d. Type I NKT cells respond rapidly to the prototypical antigen
-galactosylceramide (-GalCer) and can secrete both pro- and anti-inflammatory
cytokines, while Type II NKT cells recognize the self-glycolipid sulfatide and are
thought to be controlling autoimmunity. The cytokine profile of Type I NKT cells
can be altered using modified synthetic glycolipids to produce the cytokine
response of choice. Through biophysical TCR binding affinity measurements,
as well as crystallographic studies of how the TCR engages different CD1d-
presented glycolipids, we and others have identified the structural basis of
glycolipid recognition by NKT cells. The TCR of Type I NKT cells binds to CD1d
with a conserved footprint, while inducing structural changes in both CD1d and
the glycolipid antigens. This conserved TCR binding mode allows for the design
of glycolipid antigens, predominantly analogs of -GalCer in an attempt to obtain
glycolipids that elicit a particular cytokine profile. We are especially interested
in identifying novel antigens that elicit pro-inflammatory cytokines, since they
have great potential as vaccine adjuvants. I will present our ongoing work on
characterizing novel CD1d-restricted antigens, which led us to a surprising
discovery.
Biography
Prof. Zajonc obtained his Ph.D. in Biology from the Friedrich
Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany in 2001, working on
fatty acid elongation and sphingolipid metabolism in yeast. For
his postdoctoral work, he joined the laboratory of Ian A. Wilson
at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, where
he worked on the structural basis of glycolipid presentation
by the CD1 family. At that time, he made seminal findings
of how glycolipids can be recognized by T cells. In 2006, he
started his own lab at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology,
where he continued to work on microbial antigen recognition
by T cells, antibody recognition of viral antigens, as well as viral
interferencewith immune recognition. He has published over 90
peer-review papers in top tier journals including Science, Nature
Immunology, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Immunity and
PNAS.
Modulating immune responses with
designed glycolipid antigens that
target Natural Killer T cells using a
structural-functional approach
Zajonc
Friedrich Alexander University (Erlangen, Germany)
Zajonc, Biochem Mol biol J Volume:4
DOI: 10.21767/2471-8084-C5-019