Members
Peter Balogh
Name of the laboratory
- Department of Immunology and Biotechnology
- Clinical Center, University of Pecs
- H-7634 Pecs, Szigeti ut 12
- Hungary
Members of the laboratory
- Group leader
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Dr. Peter Balogh, MD, PhD balogh.peter@pte.hu
- Postdoctoral scientist/resident
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Dr. Zoltan Kellermayer, MD kellermayer.zoltan@pte.hu
- PhD student
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Dora Vojkovics Medical Biotechnology MSc vojkovics.dora@pte.hu
- Research associate
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Diana Heidt heidt.diana@pte.hu
- Research technicians
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Anett Gyöngyösi gyongyosi.anett@pte.hu
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Janos Appl appljanos@gmail.com
Laboratory activity
The Department of Immunology and Biotechnology (formerly "Immunological and Biotechnological Laboratory") was established in 1991 by Dr. Peter Nemeth as an independent teaching, research and diagnostic unit of the University Medical School of Pécs. This unit was dedicated to pursue its own research in basic and applied immunology, particularly to produce monoclonal antibodies for research and diagnostic purposes, now headed by Dr. Timea Berki.
The research interest of Dr Peter Balogh’s group focuses on the structure, organization and developmental features of the stromal constituents of peripheral lymphoid tissues and their role in lymphocyte homeostasis, particularly the role of Nkx2-3 transcription factor in the spleen and Peyer’s patches of mice. In this work several rat monoclonal antibodies have been generated against both hematopoietic and stromal cells (fibroblastic reticular cells, marginal zone macrophages, various endothelial subsets). Current investigations are conducted to study the impact of Nkx2-3 on the onset of inflammatory bowel diseases in various murine models and the mechanism of lymphoid tissue-specific tropism in B-cell lymphoma progression.
Research activities
Analysis of stromal constituents in either mouse of human lymphoid tissues significantly lags behind the extensive knowledge concerning the diverse spectrum of hematopoietic elements, despite recent advances using lineage tracing and fate mapping experiments. Furthermore, it remains questionable to what extent the developmental and functional characteristics in mice can be relevant to humans. Recently Nkx2-3 has emerged as an important element in organizing the stromal scaffolding in mouse spleen and Peyer’s patches, and it may influence perturbed gut immunity in humans leading to various forms of inflammatory bowel diseases. To study the role of Nkx2-3 transcription factor, Nkx2-3-deficient mice (developed by Oliver Pabst at the Technical University of Braunschweig) have been used in various compound mutations (Ltbr-/-, Rag2-/- and now in variants allowing lymphocyte distribution analysis through Luc and photoconvertible KikGR detection) are investigated. We found that the absence of this factor essentially reprograms the spleen and Peyer’s patches vasculature towards lymph node-like pattern, including the formation of ectopic HEVs expressing PNAd and abortive LYVE-1-positive lymphatic cysts. More recently, we studied the effect of Nkx2-3 mutation on the intestinal distribution of type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) and the stromal composition of murine mucosal lymphoid tissues. In this work, we use multiparametric flow cytometry, adoptive cell transfer and bone marrow chimeric animals as well as four-color immunofluorescent analysis of the mucosal lymphoid compartments and qPCR for mRNA expression.
Using a spontaneous high-grade B-cell lymphoma that arose in BALB/c mouse we identified a novel form of serosal lymphoid organoids, which we termed foliate lymphoid aggregates (FLAgs). These structures possess partial lymphoid compartmentalization into T/B zones, and show an intense capacity to immobilize peritoneal B cells and B-cell lymphoma cells.
Techniques available
- Rat and mouse monoclonal antibody production, antibody purification and labeling (FITC, Cy dyes, biotinylation, HRPO), immunoprecipitation, Western blot, ELISA;
- Multicolor (up to 4 colors) immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry (PO, AP and dual labeling), lectin-immunohistochemistry;
- Flow cytometry and sorting (FACSCalibur, FACSCanto, FACSAria);
- Lymphocyte adoptive transfer and tracing, bone marrow radiation chimeras, interspecies (rat x mouse) chimeras, Luc detection and access to bioluminescent imager, and KikGR photoconversion.
Publications (2019-present)
- Jia X, Gábris F, Jacobsen Ó, Bedics G, Botz B, Helyes Z, Kellermayer Z, Vojkovics D, Berta G, Nagy N, Jakus Z, Balogh P. Foliate Lymphoid Aggregates as Novel Forms of Serous Lymphocyte Entry Sites of Peritoneal B Cells and High-Grade B Cell Lymphomas. J Immunol. 2020 204:23-36.
- Vojkovics D, Kellermayer Z, Gábris F, Schippers A, Wagner N, Berta G, Farkas K, Balogh P. Differential Effects of the Absence of Nkx2-3 and MAdCAM-1 on the Distribution of Intestinal Type 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells and Postnatal SILT Formation in Mice. Front Immunol. 2019 10:366. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.00366.
- Kellermayer Z, Vojkovics D, Dakah TA, Bodó K, Botz B, Helyes Z, Berta G, Kajtár B, Schippers A, Wagner N, Scotto L, O'Connor OA, Arnold HH, Balogh P. IL-22-Independent Protection from Colitis in the Absence of Nkx2.3 Transcription Factor in Mice. J Immunol. 2019 202:1833-1844.