Objectives

• Understand the role of sentinel cells (macrophages and dendritic cells) in recognizing viruses, initiating intrinsic responses and coordinating innate and adaptive immune response.

• Explain the how Natural Killer Cells and Cytotoxic T-cells recognize that a cell is infected with a virus and kills the infected cell.

• Understand the general features of the adaptive response to a viral infection including the common antigens recognized and the cell types involved in the response including B-cells, helper T-cells and Cytotoxic T-cells.

• How antibodies recognize and neutralize viruses or target viruses for destruction.

• Explain how MHC complexes signal to the adaptive immune response that a cells is infected and present antigens to T-cells

• Understand how T-cells are able to recognize infected cells.

• Understand how memory B-cells and T-cells are able to protect the host from previously encountered infections.

Virus Project: Immune Response VIRUSE ITS HIV VIRUS

In the past, I have found that most students develop a good understanding of the various parts of the immune system (i.e. macrophages, T-cells, antibodies….etc), but they have a hard time putting all the steps in the immune response together. Therefore, this week you will attempt to assemble what you have learned about the immune response to a virus by putting together a short presentation describing the immune response to your semester virus. You should research the immune response to your virus and create six slides that cover the following topics. Please use the template provided below for your presentation.

Slide 1

Title slide that includes your name and the name of your semester virus

Slide 2

Use the picture of common entry routes of viruses that I have included in the project template to demonstrate the intrinsic barriers to infection by your virus.

Slide 3
Use diagram of the structure of your semester virus to show elements of the virion that are recognized by Pattern Recognition Receptors, antibodies and T-cells. This website is a good source of virion structure diagrams.

Slide 4
Show how your virus is recognized by intrinsic and innate immune response once it is inside the cell. Show at least two pattern recognition receptors that recognize your virus and two interferon stimulated genes that are activated by you virus. Show how the ISGs help the cell contend with the virus. Almost all viruses produce at least one protein that interferes with the innate immune response. Show an example of one of these proteins your virus utilizes to evade the innate immune response.

Slide 5
Create a slide that demonstrates how the adaptive immune response recognizes and deals with your virus. Include the role of dendritic cells, major histocompatibility complex, B-cells and T-cells. This may be in the form of a concept map or a collection of pictures and diagrams from the internet.

Slide 6
Include your references for where you obtained the information in your presentation.

Once you have put your presentation together, you may either present your presentation using Jing or use animated call-outs to guide the viewer through your presentation. You should keep things simple, but be creative in how you present your slides. Do not just copy a single diagram from a book or internet source. I want you to research the topic and be able to put the diagrams together yourself. I have provided a sample of some of the slides for the influenza A virus below. Please submit your presentations using the assignment link below by the end of the day on March 20. If you decide to use Jing, please post the link to your presentation on the title page. I will collate the presentations and post them in the discussion board once they are all received.