Sequence variation in the src gene product affects metastasis formation: the central, but not exclusive, role of the tumor immune response

Nutritional modulation of immune function in broilers

Collaborative research efforts across disciplines typically result in more insight toward the hypothesis being tested due to the omnibus nature of the projects. For example, nutritional experiments evaluating a nutrient response will benefit greatly by incorporating biochemical, physiological, and immunological endpoints for measurement. Clearly, commercial poultry producers do not have the luxury of focusing on specific disciplines when field problems occur. Hence, in practice interplay exists among nutrition, genetics, management, and diseases. Dietary composition impacts immune function of the chicken. As research in the area of nutritional immunology has increased, it is becoming apparent that nutrient needs for immunity do not coincide with those for growth or skeletal tissue accretion. This review is not a comprehensive assessment of nutrient needs for immunity in the chicken. Rather, this review is concerned with nutritional modulation of immunity in broilers that offers insight for nutritionists and researchers to implement nutritional regimens to reduce the severity of disease and to test or validate nutritional regimens that heighten immunity. Nutritional modulation of the hen diet and in ovo nutrient modulation to improve chick immunity and disease resistance are discussed.

v-src oncogene-specific carboxy-terminal peptide is immunoprotective against Rous sarcoma growth in chickens with MHC class I allele B-F12

B(12) haplotype of the inbred chicken line CB (B12/B12) contains, like the bulk of chicken MHC(B) haplotypes, only a single dominantly expressed class I molecule (B-F). The peptide binding motifs for this major B-F12 molecule in chickens of Rous sarcoma regressor line CB (B12/B12) have been determined. Using stringent and relaxed motifs, several peptides were found in the v-src molecule of the PR-RSV-C, but most of these peptides are identical with that of endogenous c-src. Only the v-src C-tail peptide(517-524) (LPACVLEV) contains critical anchor amino acids (valine at positions 5 and 8) and shows a sequence different from the corresponding c-src peptide. This v-src C-tail peptide up-regulates expression of the B-F12 class I molecule on PBL, as assessed by FACS analysis, and stimulates T cell proliferation in a [3H]thymidine uptake assay. A protective effect of the immune response to LPACVLEV against RSV challenge was demonstrated in CB (B12/B12) chickens immunised with peptides encapsulated in liposomes.