Seminar by Dr Dominic De Nardo "Discovering new mechanisms controlling cGAS-STING signalling"
This seminar will be held via Zoom at 9am, open only to members of Oxford University. Registration is at: https://medsci.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIod-GopzsuHtPt_pHBZGdk7hqxuhJEZH71
Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) have evolved to sense microbial DNA and elicit protective immunity as part of the innate immune system. The major sensor of cytosolic double stranded (ds)DNA is the enzyme cGAS (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase). Upon binding of dsDNA, cGAS produces a cyclic di-nucleotide molecule, cGAMP. STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) is then activated by cGAMP to produce key immune mediators, such as interferons (IFNs) and pro-inflammatory cytokines to elicit a protective anti-viral immune response. We are exploring the role of the cGAS-STING pathway in the context of infection, autoimmunity (e.g. Lupus), autoinflammation and anti-cancer immunity by investigating the fundamental mechanisms that control STING signalling and trafficking responses.
We recently identified IKK, as a new molecule in the STING signalling pathway that is able to elicit pro-inflammatory immune responses via the transcription factor, NF-B (Balka et al., Cell Reports 2022). We discovered that IKK works redundantly along with TBK1, the major effector kinase downstream of STING. We are now further examining the roles of IKK in STING-mediated immune responses. In addition, we are employing a number of high-end imaging modalities (e.g. Airyscan confocal, Lattice light-sheet) in combination with fluorescent STING reporter systems to examine STING trafficking in both fixed and live immune cells. These high-resolution approaches will illuminate previously unrecognised aspects of STING trafficking and its relation to STING-mediated cellular processes.
Date: 6 June 2022, 9:00
Venue: This seminar will be held via Zoom at 9am, open only to members of Oxford University. Registration is at: https://medsci.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIod-GopzsuHtPt_pHBZGdk7hqxuhJEZH71
Speaker: Dr Dominic De Nardo (Monash University, Melbourne)
Organising department: Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS)
Organisers: Ellen Mobbs (Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology), Dr Jelena Bezbradica (The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology), Professor Irina Udalova (Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology)
Organiser contact email address: ellen.mobbs@kennedy.ox.ac.uk
Host: Dr Jelena Bezbradica (The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology)
Part of: Kennedy Institute Seminars
Booking required?: Required
Booking url: https://medsci.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIod-GopzsuHtPt_pHBZGdk7hqxuhJEZH71
Audience: Members of the University only
Editors: Elizabeth Thompson, Ellen Mobbs