The Hunt for Agmatine Receptors on Macrophages — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Thomas Carr
Katherin Hilson
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Sarah Terrill

The Hunt for Agmatine Receptors on Macrophages

Name: Jacelyn Peabody
Major: Biology, Neuroscience
Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research
Funding: NIH Heart, Lung, and Blood Program

Abstract

Agmatine, a derivative of L-arginine, is known to act as a neurotransmitter, is associated with lung exacerbations in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, and can augment biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Most CF patients succumb to chronic airway infections from this opportunistic pathogen. Our lab is interested in the host-pathogen dynamic in the CF lung and has found that agmatine plays a pivotal role in this process. Known agmatine-binding receptors are being searched for on primary murine macrophages, a cell that we have shown responds to agmatine. Candidates are 5HT-2C-serotonin receptors and α2-adrenoreceptors, whose existence has been putatively shown through adrenoreceptor blockade in the presence of agmatine. Western-blots were used to identify the presence of α2-adrenoreceptors and 5HT-2C-serotonin receptors and to quantify the level of expression following stimulus of macrophages with lipopolysaccharide or agmatine. Understanding the immunomodulatory effects of agmatine allows for future studies of host-pathogen interactions in CF patients.

Poster file