“Of Mice and Men: Discovering Genes and the Pharmacodynamics of Benzodiazepines”

      “Can mental states be characterized by EEG analysis?”

      “Interaction of Residue Pair N478-N479 with the Nicotinamide Side Chain of NAD⁺ Is 
         Required for Proper Orientation in the Hydride Transfer Reaction Catalyzed by 
         NAD-Malic Enzyme”
       Jane C. Herron, Dali Liu, Paul F. Cook

       “AC927, A Novel Ligand with Affinity for Dopamine Transporters and Sigma 
            Receptors, Attenuates Cocaine-Induced Behaviors in Mice,” 
          D.L. Gilmore, A. Coop, W.D. Bowen, B. Pouw, J.C. Yaciuk, R.R. Matsumoto

        “Six Novel Analogs of Bd1008 Attenuate Cocaine-Induced Convulsions in Mice: 
           Structure-Activity Relationships,”
         R.R. Matsumoto, J.C. Yaciuk, D.L. Gilmore, B. Pouw, W.D. Bowen, W. Williams, A. Coop

       “Novel Gene Expression Changes in SEB-Anergized CD4⁺ Vb8⁺ T cells,”
         Sridevi Kurella, Jane C. Yaciuk, Igor Dozmorov, Michael Centola, A. Darise Farris

       “Are Defects in Lipid Raft Movement or Composition involved in T cell Anergy?”
        Jane C. Yaciuk, Sridevi Kurella, William A. Rodgers, and A. Darise Farris

  “Molecular Mechanisms of T cell Anergy: Role for LFA-1?”
   Jane C. Yaciuk, Sridevi Kurella, and A. Darise Farris

“Molecular Basis of T cell Anergy"
 Sridevi Kurella,Ph.D., Jane C. Yaciuk, M.S., and A. Darise Farris, Ph.D.

        “Characterization of T cell tolerance to the human ribonucleoprotein La using a 
            human La x TCR double transgenic mouse model” 
          Jane C. Yaciuk, Yujun Pan, Karen Davis, Jennifer Workman, Zijian Pan, and A. Darise Farris

 
          My graduate research focus is to analyze T cell tolerance mechanisms in vivo using mouse models.

          T cell anergy and suppression are likely responsible for tolerance to antigens that are the targets of many systemic autoimmune responses.  The molecular basis of T cell anergy maintenance and signaling involving lipid rafts and immune synapse formation are still largely unknown.  Analysis of lipid raft composition, movement, and synapse formation could shed light on the anergic T cell state. 

          Superantigens are known to initiate tolerance in some instances.  One experimental model of anergy induction in vivo utilizes Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB.)  CD4+V?8+ T cells from SEB immunized mice become activated and experience one of two tolerogenic fates: apoptosis or survival in a non-functional state (anergy).  The SEB model has been well characterized in BALB/c mice, and, through its use as a somewhat physiologic example of tolerance, the long term goal is to identify possible surface molecule/cellular pathway differences between anergic and non-anergic T cells.

          I am also looking at mechanisms of tolerance to nuclear antigens; loss of tolerance to such autoantigens, about which little is known, is characteristic of systemic autoimmune disease.  Specifically, I am working on characterizing thymic tolerance in a mouse model developed in our lab.  This model is centered around the ribonucleoprotein La/SS-B, an autoimmune target in SLE (lupus) and Sjögren’s syndrome.  Mice transgenic for both human La (hLa) and an hLa specific T cell receptor are being analyzed to study central tolerance to human La.

          The goal of my studies is to contribute to an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms of T cell tolerance and the loss thereof leading to autoimmunity.