Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Godfrey Laboratory

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Include: Research Interests | Major Research Projects | Laboratory Staff | Recent Publications

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Research Interests

The laboratory is interested in understanding the development and function of NKT cells.

The research programme is divided into three major areas. The first is to investigate NKT cell development and homeostasis. The second is to understand the molecular basis by which NKT cells recognise their glycolipid antigens. The third area of interest lies in understanding the role that NKT cells play in tumour development and autoimmune disorders.

Major Research Projects

  1. NKT cell development and selection in mice and humans
  2. NKT cell subsets and their functional diversity
  3. The molecular basis of antigen recognition by the NKT T cell receptor
  4. The role of different glycolipid antigens in NKT cell development and function
  5. The role of NKT cells in tumour immunity
  6. The role of NKT cells in autoimmune disorders
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Laboratory Staff

Lab Head:
Professor Dale Godfrey		 godfrey@unimelb.edu.au
Research Officer:
Dr Adam Uldric
 adam.uldrich@unimelb.edu.au
Research Assistants:
Mr Marcin Ciula
Ms Kirsty McPherson
mciula@unimelb.edu.au
kirstygm@unimelb.edu.au
Laboratory Coordinator:
Mr Marcin Ciula (0.6)
mciula@unimelb.edu.au
PhD Students:
Ms Fiona Ross
Mr Garth Cameron
Mr Daniel Pellicci
Ms Catarina Almeida
f.ross@ugrad.unimelb.edu.au
g.cameron6@student.unimelb.edu.au
pellicci@unimelb.edu.au
almeida@student.unimelb.edu.au


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Recent Publications

List of Publications prior to 2009

  1. Mallevaey T, Clarke AJ, Scott-Browne JP, Young MH, Roisman LC, Pellicci DG, Patel O, Vivian JP, Matsuda JL, McCluskey J, Godfrey DI, Marrack P, Rossjohn J, Gapin L. A molecular basis for NKT cell recognition of CD1d-self-antigen. Immunity 2011; 34: 315-26.
  2. Wun KS, Cameron G, Patel O, Pang SS, Pellicci DG, Sullivan LC, Keshipeddy S, Young MH, Uldrich AP, Thakur MS, Richardson SK, Howell AR, Illarionov PA, Brooks AG, Besra GS, McCluskey J, Gapin L, Porcelli SA, Godfrey DI, Rossjohn J. A molecular basis for the exquisite CD1d-restricted antigen specificity and functional responses of natural killer T cells. Immunity 2011; 34: 327-39.
  3. Christiansen D, Vaughan HA, Milland J, Dodge N, Mouhtouris E, Smyth MJ, Godfrey DI, Sandrin MS. Antibody responses to glycolipid-borne carbohydrates require CD4(+) T cells but not CD1 or NKT cells. Immunol Cell Biol 2011; 89: 502-10.
  4. Pang SS, Berry R, Chen Z, Kjer-Nielsen L, Perugini MA, King GF, Wang C, Chew SH, La Gruta NL, Williams NK, Beddoe T, Tiganis T, Cowieson NP, Godfrey DI, Purcell AW, Wilce MC, McCluskey J, Rossjohn J. The structural basis for autonomous dimerization of the pre-T-cell antigen receptor. Nature 2010; 467: 844-8.
  5. Stankovic S, Gugasyan R, Kyparissoudis K, Grumont R, Banerjee A, Tsichlis P, Gerondakis S, Godfrey DI. Distinct roles in NKT cell maturation and function for the different transcription factors in the classical NF-kappaB pathway. Immunol Cell Biol 2010; 89: 294-303.
  6. Semmling V, Lukacs-Kornek V, Thaiss CA, Quast T, Hochheiser K, Panzer U, Rossjohn J, Perlmutter P, Cao J, Godfrey DI, Savage PB, Knolle PA, Kolanus W, Forster I, Kurts C. Alternative cross-priming through CCL17-CCR4-mediated attraction of CTLs toward NKT cell-licensed DCs. Nat Immunol 2010; 11: 313-20.
  7. Zotos D, Coquet JM, Zhang Y, Light A, D'Costa K, Kallies A, Corcoran LM, Godfrey DI, Toellner KM, Smyth MJ, Nutt SL, Tarlinton DM. IL-21 regulates germinal center B cell differentiation and proliferation through a B cell-intrinsic mechanism. J Exp Med 2010; 207: 365-78.
  8. Chan AC, Neeson P, Leeansyah E, Tainton K, Quach H, Prince HM, Godfrey DI, Ritchie D, Berzins SP. Testing the NKT cell hypothesis in lenalidomide-treated myelodysplastic syndrome patients. Leukemia 2010; 24: 592-600.
  9. Mattarollo SR, Rahimpour A, Choyce A, Godfrey DI, Leggatt GR, Frazer IH. Invariant NKT cells in hyperplastic skin induce a local immune suppressive environment by IFN-gamma production. J Immunol 2010; 184: 1242-50.
  10. Florence WC, Xia C, Gordy LE, Chen W, Zhang Y, Scott-Browne J, Kinjo Y, Yu KO, Keshipeddy S, Pellicci DG, Patel O, Kjer-Nielsen L, McCluskey J, Godfrey DI, Rossjohn J, Richardson SK, Porcelli SA, Howell AR, Hayakawa K, Gapin L, Zajonc DM, Wang PG, Joyce S. Adaptability of the semi-invariant natural killer T-cell receptor towards structurally diverse CD1d-restricted ligands. Embo J 2009; 28: 3781.
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  11. Sondergaard H, Coquet JM, Uldrich AP, McLaughlin N, Godfrey DI, Sivakumar PV, Skak K, Smyth MJ. Endogenous IL-21 restricts CD8+ T cell expansion and is not required for tumor immunity. J Immunol 2009; 183: 7326-36.
  12. Florence WC, Xia C, Gordy LE, Chen W, Zhang Y, Scott-Browne J, Kinjo Y, Yu KO, Keshipeddy S, Pellicci DG, Patel O, Kjer-Nielsen L, McCluskey J, Godfrey DI, Rossjohn J, Richardson SK, Porcelli SA, Howell AR, Hayakawa K, Gapin L, Zajonc DM, Wang PG, Joyce S. Adaptability of the semi-invariant natural killer T-cell receptor towards structurally diverse CD1d-restricted ligands. Embo J 2009; 28: 3579-90.
  13. Pellicci DG, Patel O, Kjer-Nielsen L, Pang SS, Sullivan LC, Kyparissoudis K, Brooks AG, Reid HH, Gras S, Lucet IS, Koh R, Smyth MJ, Mallevaey T, Matsuda JL, Gapin L, McCluskey J, Godfrey DI, Rossjohn J. Differential recognition of CD1d-alpha-galactosyl ceramide by the V beta 8.2 and V beta 7 semi-invariant NKT T cell receptors. Immunity 2009; 31: 47-59.
  14. Mallevaey T, Scott-Browne JP, Matsuda JL, Young MH, Pellicci DG, Patel O, Thakur M, Kjer-Nielsen L, Richardson SK, Cerundolo V, Howell AR, McCluskey J, Godfrey DI, Rossjohn J, Marrack P, Gapin L. T cell receptor CDR2 beta and CDR3 beta loops collaborate functionally to shape the iNKT cell repertoire. Immunity 2009; 31: 60-71.
  15. Morris ES, MacDonald KP, Kuns RD, Morris HM, Banovic T, Don AL, Rowe V, Wilson YA, Raffelt NC, Engwerda CR, Burman AC, Markey KA, Godfrey DI, Smyth MJ, Hill GR. Induction of natural killer T cell-dependent alloreactivity by administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor after bone marrow transplantation. Nat Med 2009; 15: 436-41.
  16. Chan AC, Serwecinska L, Cochrane A, Harrison LC, Godfrey DI, Berzins SP. Immune characterization of an individual with an exceptionally high natural killer T cell frequency and her immediate family. Clin Exp Immunol 2009; 156: 238-45.
  17. Swann JB, Uldrich AP, van Dommelen S, Sharkey J, Murray WK, Godfrey DI, Smyth MJ. Type I natural killer T cells suppress tumors caused by p53 loss in mice. Blood 2009; 113: 6382-5.
  18. Bolitho P, Street SE, Westwood JA, Edelmann W, Macgregor D, Waring P, Murray WK, Godfrey DI, Trapani JA, Johnstone RW, Smyth MJ. Perforin-mediated suppression of B-cell lymphoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2009; 106: 2723-8.
  19. Fernandez CS, Chan AC, Kyparissoudis K, De Rose R, Godfrey DI, Kent SJ. Peripheral NKT cells in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected macaques. J Virol 2009; 83: 1617-24.
  20. Guillonneau C, Mintern JD, Hubert FX, Hurt AC, Besra GS, Porcelli S, Barr IG, Doherty PC, Godfrey DI, Turner SJ. Combined NKT cell activation and influenza virus vaccination boosts memory CTL generation and protective immunity. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2009; 106: 3330-5.