Summary of Research
My group studies molecular mechanisms of Innate Immune Recognition. Innate Immunity is the body’s first line of defense against invading pathogens. It serves to limit or prevent infections, and guides the immune response against an invader. The molecular sensors that are used for this purpose are sometimes called “Pattern Recognition Molecules”. They recognize evolutionary conserved microbial molecules (“Patterns”) and are encoded by germline receptors. We are interested in identifying novel Pattern Recognition Molecules and how they function. Such knowledge could contribute to improved treatments of infectious diseases and immunological disorders such as autoimmunity.
We use fruit flies as a model system, and combine genetics with molecular, biochemical, structural and cell biological approaches. In this way, we have recently discovered a novel phagocytic receptor that binds a broad range of microbial pathogens. This receptor is important for the survival of infections. It belongs to a new superfamily of proteins that occur in many organisms, including Drosophila and humans. Using this novel receptor as an example, we now address evolutionarily conserved signaling mechanisms that occur after phagocytic recognition. In addition, we are trying to identify pattern recognition receptors that bind to bacterial spores related to anthrax.
Collaborators
My group is closely affiliated with the Ausubel Lab and collaborates with the Rahme Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, as well as with the Hoffmann/Reichhart/Ferrandon Labs at IBMC in Strasbourg, France.
Selected Publications
- Kocks C, Cho JH, Nehme N, Johanna Ulvila J, Pearson AM, Meister M, Strom C, Conto SL, Hetru C, Stuart LM, Stehle T, Hoffmann JA, Reichhart J-M, Ferrandon D, Rämet M, and Ezekowitz RAB. Eater, a transmembrane protein mediating phagocytosis of bacterial pathogens in Drosophila. Cell 2005;123:335-48
- Ulvila J, Parikka M, Kleino A, Sormunen R, Ezekowitz RA, Kocks C, and Ramet M. Double-stranded RNA is internalized by scavenger receptor-mediated endocytosis in Drosophila S2 cells. J Biol Chem 2006;281:14370-5
- Stuart LM, Boulais J, Charriere GM, Hennessy EJ, Brunet S, Jutras I, Goyette G, Rondeau C, Letarte S, Huang H, Ye P, Morales F, Kocks C, Bader JS, Desjardins M, and Ezekowitz RAB. A systems biology analysis of the Drosophila phagosome. Nature 2007;445:95-101
Contact Information
Christine Kocks, PhD
Assistant Professor in Pediatrics
Harvard Medical School
Massachusetts General Hospital
Developmental Immunology
55 Fruit Street, GRJ 14012
Boston, MA 02114
E-mail: christine_kocks@hms.harvard.edu
