Lindsey Carlin

Advisor
Natural Killer Cell Activation, Trafficking, and Contribution to Immune Responses to Viral Pathogens
Biography

My research examines the role of NK cells and their ligands in the control of viral infections. NK cells are a heterogeneous population of lymphocytes capable of targeting and killing infected cells, as well as contributing to the priming of the adaptive immune response.

The Heusel lab is interested in the murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) encoded m157 gene product. M157 is able to bind the murine NK cell activating receptor Ly49H, which confers resistance to MCMV in the B6 strain. M157 is expressed on the infected cell surface as a GPI anchored protein. My current research explores the importance of the GPI anchor in interactions with Ly49H, both in cis and in trans, by using recombinant transmembrane m157 constructs and recombinant MCMV. Additional projects in our lab include studying the role of NK cells in influenza infection. Our preliminary studies of influenza infection in NK cell-depleted mice show an increase in both morbidity and mortality compared to wild type controls. My goals are to determine how NK cells traffic to the lymph nodes and lung in healthy and infected animals, and to elucidate whether direct killing of influenza-infected cells by NK cells or NK priming of the adaptive immune system is responsible for the increased morbidity in NK cell-depleted influenza infected mice.

Carlin LE, Hemann EA, Zacharias ZR, Heusel JW, Legge KL. Natural Killer Cell Recruitment to the Lung During Influenza A Virus Infection Is Dependent on CXCR3, CCR5, and Virus Exposure Dose. Front Immunol. 2018 Apr 17;9:781. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.00781. eCollection 2018. PubMed PMID: 29719539; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5913326.

Carlin LE, Guseva NV, Shey MR, Ballas ZK, Heusel JW. The Glycophosphatidylinositol Anchor of the MCMV Evasin, m157, Facilitates Optimal Cell Surface Expression and Ly49 Receptor Recognition. PLoS One. 2013 Jun 19;8(6):e67295. Print 2013. PubMed PMID: 23840655; PubMed Central PMCID:PMC3686720.

Xie P, Poovassery J, Stunz LL, Smith SM, Schultz ML, Carlin LE, Bishop GA. Enhanced Toll-like receptor (TLR) responses of TNFR-associated factor 3 (TRAF3)-deficient B lymphocytes. J Leukoc Biol. 2011 Dec;90(6):1149-57. doi:10.1189/jlb.0111044. Epub 2011 Oct 4. PubMed PMID: 21971520; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3236554.
 

Clinical Applications Manager
Miltenyi Biotec
Lindsey Carlin