Janina Schieneman Rose Hills
Transcriptional Regulation of Eosinophils during Development
Ikaros is a transcription factor, which splices into many different forms and influences the development of several different immune cells. One such cell line, the eosinophil, plays a crucial role in the immune response to parasites, allergies, and asthma. Unfortunately, the impact of Ikaros on eosinophil development is not well known. Establishing a better understanding of eosinophil development could result in discovering markers of eosinophilia and allergy responses. Discovered effects of Ikaros on eosinophil development can eventually be tested on human cells and provide insight into immunosensitivity disorders. Previous research within the lab I work at focused on systemic expression of several Ikaros isoforms in mouse models. Results from those experiments prompted more specific investigation into the mechanism by which Ikaros influences eosinophil development. This summer, I will use cre-lox recombination systems to study the expression of two distinct isoforms of Ikaros in order to elaborate upon the intrinsic effect of Ikaros mutations on two distinct stages of eosinophil development.