Membrane traffic pathways in viral replication and pathogenesis

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"We study the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that is linked to AIDS and is believed to have infected 60 million people worldwide. During infection these viruses must interact with receptor proteins expressed on the surfaces of target cells. Using the natural binding proteins of these receptors, it is possible to abrogate HIV infection. We are trying to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie this regulation with the aim of developing novel strategies to down regulate the receptors. Such strategies may have efficacy against HIV. Importantly, the receptors exploited by HIV are representative of a large class of similar proteins, so-called G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), that control a range of biological functions including the immune system. So what we learn about HIV receptors may have relevance to other important biological events.||In addition to understanding virus entry, we also investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the formation of new virus particles within infected cells. This requires that the key structural proteins that make up virus particles are bought together at the same time and place within an infected cell so that virus particles can form. We have identified molecular signals in the envelope glycoprotein that are required for the correct trafficking within infected cells. When one of these signals is mutated in a simian model system, the virus is attenuated and is no longer pathogenic. Moreover, animals treated with this virus are protected against challenge with normal pathogenic viruses. Together these studies are providing novel insights to the mechanisms of pathogenesis and may give hints to the key components of immune control."