Uma M. Nagarajan, PhD |
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| Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine |
| Phone: (501) 364-2479 |
Research Overview
Dr. Nagarajan is a basic research scientist, trained as a molecular immunologist. Her research interest involves studying the mechanism of innate immune response to the pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis. C. trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen in young adults and can causes fallopian tube inflammation and subsequent tubal infertility in women. A major component of the innate immune response to pathogens is the Toll-like and pathogen recognition receptors (TLR/PRR). The recognition of specific molecules on pathogens by the TLR/PRR leads to signaling events that result in the induction of chemokines, cytokines, and costimulatory molecules required for effective shaping of adaptive immunity. The overall objective of Dr. Nagarajan’s laboratory is to delineate the TLR/PRR pathways involved in pathogen recognition and the mechanisms of induction of cytokines/chemokines during chlamydial infection.
Key Publications*
Nagarajan UM, Louis-Plence P, Desandro A, Nilsen R, Bushey A, and Boss JM. RFX-B is the gene responsible for the most common cause of the Bare Lymphocyte Syndrome, an MHC class II immunodeficiency (Cover page). Immunity. 1999, 10: 153-162.
Nagarajan UM, Lochamy J, Chen X, Beresford G, Nilsen R, Jensen P, and Boss JM. CIITA is required for optimal expression of HLA-DOB in B cells. Journal of Immunolgy. 2002, 168: 1780-1786.
Nagarajan UM, Bushey A, Harreman MT, Corbett AH, and Boss JM. A hierarchy of nuclear localization signals governs the import of the RFX complex subunits and MHC class II expression (Cover page). Journal of Immunology. 2004, 173: 410-419.
Nagarajan UM, Ojcius DM, Stahl L, Rank RG, and Darville T. Chlamydia trachomatis Induces Expression of IFN-{gamma}-Inducible Protein10 and IFN-{beta} Independent of TLR2 and TLR4, but Largely Dependent on MyD88. J. Immunol. 2005, 175: 450-460.
Reeves DM, Nagarajan U, O’Connell C, Andrews CA Jr., and Darville T. Lack of an effect of antibiotic treatment on prolonged detection of chlamydial DNA in murine genital tract infection. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 2007, 15: 2646-2648.
*To find additional publications by this author, please visit Pubmed Central, a National Institutes of Health-operated site for electronic distribution of life sciences research reports.
Research Support
NIH/NIAID - Principal Investigator: “Mechanism of Chlamydia-induced type I IFN response”
NIH/NIAID - Co-Investigator: “Host response to Chlamydia genital infection in the male”
CUMG - Principal Investigator: “Role of type I IFN during Chlamydia infection”
Arkansas Biosciences Institute
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