Coordinated cleavages in the flavivirus structural polyprotein: role in virus assembly and host-pathogen interaction

黄病毒是导致世界范围内出血热或脑炎流行的重要人类病原体。该项目旨在研究黄病毒生物学中的独特方面，具有更广泛的细胞生物学和免疫学意义。首先，我们建议测试一种对病毒颗粒的有效组装很重要的机制。对病毒生命周期这一阶段的了解将有助于应用重组DNA技术生产用于疫苗接种和基因传递的复制不能复制的病毒的研究。其次，我们最近发现了一种免疫调节机制，到目前为止，这种机制是黄病毒所独有的，它干扰了在破坏受病毒感染的细胞方面至关重要的免疫反应。该项目旨在确定导致这一现象的病毒基因产物。

Flaviviruses are important human pathogens responsible for epidemics of hemorrhagic fever or encephalitis, world-wide. This project aims to investigate unique aspects in the biology of the flaviviruses with wider cell biological and immunological implications. First, we propose to test a mechanism important for the efficient assembly of virus particles. An understanding of this stage of the virus life-cycle will benefit research applying recombinant DNA technology in order to produce replication-incompetent viruses for use in vaccination and gene delivery. Second, we have recently discovered a mechanism for immune-modulation, so far unique to the flaviviruses, which interferes with the immune response important in the destruction of virus-infected cells. This project aims to identify the viral gene products responsible for this phenomenon.