Receptor Binding and Inhibition of Glycan-binding Polyomaviruses

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Our group has a long-standing interest in the studies of viral attachment, with a particular focus on glycan-binding viruses. Recent advances in studies of virus-glycan interactions have made it possible to rapidly identify specific receptors using glycan array screening, define the atomic level structure of the virus-glycan interaction using protein crystallography and NMR spectroscopy, and rationalize mutations to determine the precise effect of glycan binding in disease pathogenesis. In this proposal, we will define the receptor-binding properties of specific polyomaviruses, including JC polyomavirus and newly characterized polyomaviruses. The objective is to establish rules of glycan binding and enable us to modulate virus receptor specificities in order to retarget them and characterize their entry pathways. This knowledge will also form a basis for designing anti-viral agents.