West Nile Virus: Host-Virus Interactions

Margo Brinton, PhD
Georgia State University

September 15, 2004
Lecture - 10:00am-11:00am
Open Discussion - 11:00am-12:00pm
CDC, Atlanta, Ga
Roybal Campus
Building 2, Auditorium B

The laboratory research focuses on understanding the functions of virus-host molecular interactions that occur during infections with West Nile virus (a flavivirus) or simian hemorrhagic fever virus (an arterivirus). Viruses utilize cell proteins during many stages of their replication cycles, such as during attachment/entry, translation, transcription/replication, and assembly. Such virus-host interactions represent novel targets for the development of new antiviral agents. Since flaviviruses replicate in mosquitoes, birds and mammals during their natural cycles, it is expected that the cell proteins that these viruses utilize will be evolutionarily conserved proteins. Emphasis has been placed on the identification and characterization of cell proteins that interact specifically with the 3’ terminal promoter regions of viral genomic and anti-genomic RNAs.

Two cell proteins that interact with flavivirus RNAs have so far been identified and recent studies with knock-out cells and a West Nile virus infectious clone indicate that the interactions of the viral RNAs with these cell proteins facilitate virus replication. Two cell proteins that interact specifically with the 3’ sequence of the simian hemorrhagic fever virus genome have also recently been identified. Current studies are focused on defining the functions of these cell protein-viral RNA interactions.

This lecture will be Envisioned. Please contact your local Envision facilitator.

If you have question about this lecture series, please contact Charlene Dezzutti at 404-639-1034 or visit the SEC web site.