# Innate Immune Defense Mechanisms in the Intestine

> **NIH NIH R01** · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · $694,560

## Abstract

Project Summary
The GEF-H1-IKKε-IRF5 signaling axis is an essential pathway for the recognition of
peptidoglycans and enables host defense responses to cope with intracellular pathogens such as
Listeria monocytogenes. Macrophages contain a reservoir of inactive GEF-H1 bound to
microtubules that is activated by dephosphorylation to form signaling platforms for the control of
innate and adaptive immunity. The GEF-H1 pathway is well positioned to allow the intracellular
detection of cell-invasive pathogens. As many pathogens have developed mechanisms for
intracellular survival and immune avoidance, the GEF-H1 pathway may have evolved to allow
critical immune detection of microbial effectors that target cytoskeletal components. However, it
is unclear how microbial effectors and pattern recognition receptors regulate microtubule
dynamics for the activation of GEF-H1. This application seeks support for studies designed to
understand the key role of GEF-H1 in microbial detection and to define the precise requirements
for the activation of immune responses through microtubule based microbial pattern recognition.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10121631
- **Project number:** 2R01AI113333-05A1
- **Recipient organization:** UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** HANS-CHRISTIAN REINECKER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $694,560
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2014-08-01 → 2025-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10121631

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10121631, Innate Immune Defense Mechanisms in the Intestine (2R01AI113333-05A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10121631. Licensed CC0.

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