LILIANA JASO-FRIEDMANN
Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator

The immune system is composed of cells, tissues and soluble substances that protect against any type of foreign invader. The very first barrier of defense in an animal is originated by the innate immune system which has to be fast and effective for protection. There is a group of first responder cells in the innate immune system called natural killer (NK) cells. Our research focuses on the mechanisms by which NK cells are activated as well as the molecules produced by NK cells in response to their activation. In collaboration with Dr. Evans' laboratory, we have studied a group of fish NK cells which are called nonspecific cytotoxic cells, NCC. There are at least two good reasons to use NCC in our research. First, we want to learn about the teleost immune system and use this knowledge in diseases prevention. Also, we have used these cells as a model to better understand the evolution of molecules involved in the immune response.

We routinely use molecular and cellular assays to purify NCC from animals and study their activation and functions. While students in my laboratory will be exposed to many of the current molecular techniques being used in other labs, emphasis will be placed on characterizing molecules involved in innate immune responses. Some of the techniques we are currently employing include cloning, sequencing and expression of genes, PCR amplification and bioinformatics for analysis of genes of interest.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Search PubMed for "jaso-friedmann, l"

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 and 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.

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. Molecular Immunolology, 43(3):279-91.

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.

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

Praveen, K., Evans, D. L. and Jaso-Friedmann, L. 2004. Evidence for the existence of granzyme-like serine proteases in teleost cytotoxic cells. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 58:449-459.

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

Oumouna, M., Jaso-Friedmann, L. and Evans, D. L. 2002. Activation of Nonspecific Cytotoxic Cells (NCC) with Synthetic Oligodeoxynucleotides and Bacterial Genomic DNA: Binding Specificity and Identification of Immunostimulatory Motifs. Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 26:257-269, 2002.

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, 54:386-395.

Bishop, G.R., 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.

Email
ljaso@vet.uga.edu

Office
355 Vet Med
706-542-2875

Degrees
MS, University of Kansas, 1981
PhD, University of Kansas, 1985