BIOCHEMISTRY

Case studies of cryptic proteins contributing to shape change in eosinophils

Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight disease. They are part of the first line of general defense against infections, before things like T cells and antibodies join the fray. Eosinophils are also involved in conditions like asthma when they react to allergens. For her Ph.D. research, Keren Turton from the lab of Professor Deane Mosher studied three proteins involved in how eosinophils change their shape to release toxic granule proteins to fight off invaders. Little was known about these proteins and her investigation began to piece together their importance in this essential process. The Mosher Lab is also affiliated with the Department of Medicine and is able to study cells from the blood of human donors.