Exploring a new paradigm for endocytic trafficking and K+ channel function in cells

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All viruses must infect cells in order to make copies of themselves and infect new cells. To achieve this, viruses use the machinery of host cells to create an environment that favours their own survival. Through understanding how viruses interact with the cells they infect, we can gain important knowledge as to how cells themselves work. We have discovered that during infection, certain viruses need access to potassium, which is present inside cells. The potassium changes the structure (shape) of the viruses into more infectious forms. This potassium is delivered by proteins in the cells that are called potassium channels, of which there are approximately 80 different types in the human body.Our proposed research aims to find out which potassium channels are exploited by viruses to infect human cells, and if blocking them with drugs prevents infection. Once we have identified the potassium channels that are needed by the virus, we then want to understand why the cells have these channels, and if the potassium is also changing the structures of cellular proteins to alter their function, just like that observed for viruses. By completing these experiments, we may reveal new fundamentally important roles of potassium in cells that will increase our understanding of how our cells work. We may also reveal potassium channels as a new and exciting class of anti-viral targets that can be used to treat diseases caused by viruses.