Grant Abstract: Vitamin D Fluctuations and the Mucosal Immune Response

Grant Number: 5R01AT005378-10
PI Name: Cantorna
Project Title: Vitamin D Fluctuations and the Mucosal Immune Response

Abstract: This administrative supplement would be used to do some important experiments in gnotobiotic mice that were not possible until recently. We would like to rederive a Cyp27B1 reporter strain as germfree. Cyp27B1 is the key enzyme controlling production of 1,25(OH)2D. These germfree Cyp27B1 ko/+ and ko/ko reporter mice will then be immunized or colonized with a single microorganism (one commensal and one pathogen) to determine which immune or microbial signals induces expression of Cyp27B1 in B cells or other immune cells. At the completion of these experiments we will definitively determine under which conditions B cells or other immune cells produce Cyp27B1 in vivo. Without this additional supplement we would not be able to do these experiments. In addition, we want to have enough male and female mice so that we can evaluate sex as an independent variable. The parent grant proposed to do these experiments only in germfree wildtype mice of mixed sex. In addition to the experiments in Cyp27B1 ko/+ and ko/ko mice; we would like to double the numbers of male and female wildtype germfree mice so that we have enough male and female mice to determine the role of sex on expression of Cyp27B1 and metabolism of vitamin D.

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