Berri Jacque, B. A.,
Biology & Chemistry, 
Hampshire College, Amherst, MA
Ph.D. Student in Immunology
E-mail: berri.jacque@tufts.edu

Toll-like receptors (TLR) play an important sensory role during the innate immune response. I am investigating the physiological importance of components of TLR4 and CD14, components of the LPS-recognition. I am using a transgenic mouse line in which TLR4 is expressed under CD14 promoter thus providing CD14-specific tissue expression of the TLR4. These mice do not express TLR4 in T-regulatory cells and B cells therefore allowing investigation the role of TLR4 on those cells. I am also going to study another transgenic mouse line that has human CD14 transgene instead of endogenous murine CD14. Because of the well-known differences in response to LPS between mice and humans, this line may help elucidating the mechanism of LPS recognition by innate immune cells.