DONALD L. EVANS
Professor

Research interests include molecular immunology, signal transduction, and mechanisms of cellular innate immunity. The primary interest of my laboratory is comparative molecular immunology as relates to studies of innate immunity. We originally identified the teleost NK cell equivalent referred to as a nonspecific cytotoxic cell (NCC). The primary focus of our research has been identification of antigen binding receptors on NCC and their ligands; several different cellular signaling pathways have been identified including activation of apoptosis; and mechanisms of NCC initiated target cell lysis have been elucidated. We have utilized several animal model systems in these studies including infectious diseases of catfish, tilapia and zebrafish.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Search PubMed for "evans, dl"

Praveen, K., Evans, D. L. and Jaso-Friedmann, L. 2006. Constitutive expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in cytotoxic cells of teleosts and its role in regulation of cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Journal of Molecular Immunology, 43:279-291.

Praveen, K., Leary III, J. H., Evans, D. L. and Jaso-Friedmann, L. 2006. Nonspecific cytotoxic cells of teleosts are armed with multiple granzymes and other components of the granule exocytosis pathway. Molecular Immunology, 43(8):1152-62.

Praveen, K., Leary III, J. H., Evans, D. L. and Jaso-Friedmann, L. 2006. Molecular cloning of cellular apoptosis susceptibility (CAS) gene in Oreochromis niloticus and its proposed role in regulation of non-specific cytotoxic cell (NCC) functions. Fish Shellfish Immunology, 20(4):647-55

Praveen, K., Leary III, J. H., Evans, D. L. and Jaso-Friedmann, L. 2006. Molecular characterization and expression of a granzyme of an ectothermic vertebrate with chymase-like activity expressed in the cytotoxic cells of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Immunogenetics, 58(1):41-55.

Kaur, H., Jaso-Friedmann, L., Leary III, J. H., Praveen, K., Brahmi, Z. and Evans, D. L. 2005. Activation of natural killer-like YT-INDY cells by oligodeoxynucleotides and binding by homologous pattern recognition proteins. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, 62(4):361-70.

Evans, D. L., Kaur, H., Leary J., Praveen, K., and Jaso-Friedmann, L. 2005. Molecular characterization of a novel pattern recognition protein from nonspecific cytotoxic cells: sequence analysis, phylogenetic comparisons and antimicrobial activity of a recombinant homologue. Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 29(12):1049-1064.

Kaur, H., Jaso-Friedmann, L, Leary J. H. III, Praveen, K., Brahmi, Z., and Evans, D. L. 2005. Activation of NK-like YT-INDY cells by oligodeoxynucleotides and binding by homologous pattern recognition proteins. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, 62:361-370.

Kaur, H., Jaso-Friedmann, L, and Evans, D. L. 2004. Single base oligodeoxyguanosine upregulates Fas ligand release by nonspecific cytotoxic cells. Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 28:571-579.

Jaso-Friedmann, L., K Praveen, J. H. Leary III, and D. L. Evans. 2004. he gene sequence and promoter structure of nonspecific cytotoxic cell receptor protein (NCCRP-1) in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Fish and Shellfish Immunology, 16:553-560.

Kaur, H., Jaso-Friedmann, L. and Evans, D. L. 2004. ingle base oligodeoxyguanosine binding proteins on nonspecific cytotoxic cells: identification of a new class of pattern recognition receptors. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, 60:238-248.

Kaur, H., Jaso-Friedmann, L., and Evans, D.L. 2003. Identification of a scavenger receptor homologue on nospecific cytotoxic cells and evidence for binding to oligodeoxyguanosine. Fish and Shellfish Immunology, 15:169-181.

Bishop, G. R., Taylor, S., Jaso-Friedmann, L., and Evans, D. L. 2002. Mechanisms of nonspecific cytotoxic cell regulation of apoptosis: cytokine-like activity of soluble Fas Ligand. Fish and Shellfish Immunology, 13:47-67.

Oumouna, M., Jaso-Friedmann, L., and Evans, D. L. 2002. Activation of nonspecific cytotoxic cells (NCC) with synthetic olligodeoxynucleotides and bacterial genomic DNA: binding, specificity and identification of unique immunostimulatory motifs. Developmental and Comparative Immunolology, 26:257-269.

Jaso-Friedmann, L, Gonzalez, D. S., Peterson, D. and Evans, D. L. 2002. The antigen receptor (NCCRP-1) on catfish and zebrafish nonspecific cytotoxic cells belongs to a new gene family characterized by an F-box-associated (FBA) domain. Molecular Evolution, 54 (3):386-395.

Email
dlevans@uga.edu

Office
291 Vet Med
706-542-5796

Degrees
PhD, University of Arkansas
Postdoctoral Fellowship: University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute