Jukka Alinikula
PhD, Adjunct professor
juilal@utu.fi +358 29 450 4577 +358 50 516 7449 Kiinamyllynkatu 10 Turku Office: 7th floor ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9926-6439 |
Immunology, B cells, somatic hypermutation, antibody genes
I did my PhD with Prof. Olli Lassila (University of Turku) on transcriptional regulation of B cell and plasma cell development and function using loss-of-function studies. During my post-doctoral research at Yale Immunobiology (USA), I studied the targeting of somatic hypermutation to immunoglobulin genes with David G. Schatz (2012-2015). Soon thereafter, I began setting up my own research group at the Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Finland. In addition to running my independent lab, I am a university teacher of immuno-pharmacology since 2018.
Protective immunity requires production of high-affinity antibody-producing cells. Me and my team study how high-affinity antibody production is achieved. While cells generally keep somatic mutations at minimum to avoid genome instability and tumorigenesis, immunoglobulin genes during B cell development are actively mutated, e.g. the germinal center B lymphocytes undergo somatic hypermutation (SHM) of immunoglobulin V regions. Failure to correctly target mutation can have severe consequences for genome integrity and is involved in several forms of cancer, particularly leukemia and lymphoma. My focus is to investigate the molecular mechanism of how immunoglobulin enhancers recruit SHM to immunoglobulin genes as well as the mechanism that lead to mis-targeting of mutations to other sites in the genome, including several proto-oncogenes. We use e.g. reporter assays, library screening, genome manipulation and whole genome analysis techniques.
I have teaching experience since 2008 and am currently also university teacher on immuno-pharmacology. I teach on various Masters', MD and PhD courses both in English and Finnish. These include lectures, case-based learning, journal clubs, mentoring, laboratory courses and an online course. The topics cover innate and adaptive immunity, immunomodulatory drugs and therapeutic antibodies. I have taken courses on university pedagogics. I have and am currently supervising PhD students and participate in follow-up committees of doctoral students.
- Ig Enhancers Increase RNA Polymerase II Stalling at Somatic Hypermutation Target Sequences (2022)
- Journal of Immunology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Oncogenic Merkel Cell Polyomavirus T Antigen Truncating Mutations are Mediated by APOBEC3 Activity in Merkel Cell Carcinoma (2022)
- Cancer Research Communications
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Topologically Associated Domains Delineate Susceptibility to Somatic Hypermutation (2019)
- Cell Reports
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Transcription factor binding at Ig enhancers is linked to somatic hypermutation targeting (2019)
- European Journal of Immunology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - BLIMP-1 is insufficient to induce antibody secretion in the absence of IRF4 in DT40 cells (2018)
- Scandinavian Journal of Immunology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Bach2 regulates AID-mediated immunoglobulin gene conversion and somatic hypermutation in DT40 B cells (2017)
- European Journal of Immunology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Bcl6 Is Required for Somatic Hypermutation and Gene Conversion in Chicken DT40 Cells (2016)
- PLoS ONE
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - IRF4 Deficiency Leads to Altered BCR Signalling Revealed by Enhanced PI3K Pathway, Decreased SHIP Expression and Defected Cytoskeletal Responses (2015)
- Scandinavian Journal of Immunology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Super-Enhancer Transcription Converges on AID (2014)
- Cell
(Refereed review article in scientific journal (A2)) - Targeting of Somatic Hypermutation by immunoglobulin Enhancer and Enhancer-Like Sequences (2014)
- PLoS Biology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - A Critical Context-Dependent Role for E Boxes in the Targeting of Somatic Hypermutation (2013)
- Journal of Immunology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Alternate pathways for Bcl6-mediated regulation of B cell to plasma cell differentiation (2011)
- European Journal of Immunology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Gene interaction network regulates plasma cell differentiation (2011)
- Scandinavian Journal of Immunology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Bursa of Fabricius (2010)
- Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
(Article in a professional research book (D2)) - Concerted action of Helios and Ikaros controls the expression of the inositol 5-phosphatase SHIP (2010)
- European Journal of Immunology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Regulation of B Cell Gene Expression and Function by Ikaros, Helios and Bcl6 (2010) Jukka Alinikula
(Doctoral dissertation (article) (G5)) - Spontaneous acquisition of plasma cell phenotype in DT40 B cells with inactivation of Bcl-6 (2007)
- Scandinavian Journal of Immunology
(Professional conference proceedings (D3)) - DT40 mutants: a model to study transcriptional regulation of B cell development and function (2006) Alinikula Jukka, Lassila Olli, Nera Kalle-Pekka
(Refereed review article in scientific journal (A2)) - Ikaros has a crucial role in regulation of B cell receptor signaling (2006)
- European Journal of Immunology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Quantification of Ikaros Splice Variants by Real-Time PCR (2004) Rapid Cycle Real-Time PCR — Methods and Applications Elli Veistinen, Kalle-Pekka Nera, Jukka Alinikula, Olli Lassila
(Refereed article in compilation book (A3))