Functional studies of the KSHV vIRF-2 protein

KSHV vIRF-2 蛋白的功能研究

• 批准号: G0400408/1
• 负责人: David Blackbourn
• 金额: $ 29.82万
• 依托单位: University of Birmingham
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2006 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=G0400408%2F1
• 关键词: Functional; studies; KSHV; vIRF; protein

Some of the most common herpesviruses are household names since they are the causes of many familiar human diseases, including chicken pox, shingles and oral and genital ulcers. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) which causes infectious mononucleosis (or student?s kissing disease) is another herpesvirus that is a cofactor in the development of certain cancers of white blood cells (lymphomas) and of the oral-nasal cavity. Kaposi?s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), a relative of EBV, is the probable cause of Kaposi?s sarcoma (KS) and a rare form of lymphoma, especially in individuals infected with HIV, which causes AIDS. KS is the most common malignancy affecting AIDS patients. However, KS also affects others, including organ transplant recipients. The identification of KSHV as a new human pathogen offers exciting opportunities to investigate how it and related herpesviruses cause disease. Discoveries concerning this virus could be extended to other herpesviruses to contribute overall to our understanding of herpesvirus biology and help in devising methods to develop medicines against them.This proposal aims to provide a deeper understanding of how KSHV interacts with an important component of our bodies defence system: the innate interferon immune response . Our preliminary studies indicate that one component of KSHV is a protein called vIRF-2 that we have begun to characterise. This viral protein inhibits the innate interferon immune response, presumably because the virus needs to evade this defence system. If we can understand how the viral protein achieves this inhibition, we will have a better understanding of the mechanics of the response, and perhaps how other viruses avoid it. Eventually, our work could then help in the development of medicines and vaccines to prevent viruses and other foreign organisms overcoming this response.DJB is a ?GU Teacher-Scientist? and a Science Ambassador for the national SETPOINT programme. He interacts regularly with Lenzie Academy High School, giving talks on current virology topics (AIDS, SARS, Avian flu, etc) and his research. He judges in the annual Lenzie Academy science competition. For National Science week, 2004, at GU, DJB spoke on ?Introducing Virology?.

一些最常见的疱疹病毒是家喻户晓的，因为它们是许多常见人类疾病的原因，包括水痘、带状疱疹以及口腔和生殖器溃疡。引起传染性单核细胞增多症(或学生S吻合症)的爱泼斯坦-巴尔病毒是另一种疱疹病毒，它是某些白细胞癌症(淋巴瘤)和口腔鼻腔癌症的辅助因素。卡波西-S肉瘤相关疱疹病毒是EB病毒的近亲，是卡波西-S肉瘤(KS)和一种罕见的淋巴瘤的可能病因，尤其是在感染艾滋病毒的人中，可导致艾滋病。KS是影响艾滋病患者的最常见的恶性肿瘤。然而，KS也会影响其他人，包括器官移植接受者。KSHV作为一种新的人类病原体的鉴定为研究它和相关的疱疹病毒如何导致疾病提供了令人兴奋的机会。关于这种病毒的发现可以扩展到其他疱疹病毒，以帮助我们全面了解疱疹病毒的生物学，并帮助设计方法来对抗它们。这项建议旨在提供更深入的了解KSHV如何与我们身体防御系统的一个重要组成部分：先天性干扰素免疫反应相互作用。我们的初步研究表明，KSHV的一个成分是一种名为vIRF-2的蛋白质，我们已经开始对其进行表征。这种病毒蛋白抑制了天生的干扰素免疫反应，可能是因为病毒需要逃避这个防御系统。如果我们能够了解病毒蛋白是如何实现这种抑制的，我们就会更好地理解这种反应的机制，也许还有其他病毒是如何避免它的。最终，我们的工作可以帮助开发药物和疫苗，以防止病毒和其他外来生物克服这种反应。以及国家设定点计划的科学大使。他定期与Lenzie Academy High School互动，就当前的病毒学话题(艾滋病、SARS、禽流感等)和他的研究进行演讲。他是伦齐学院一年一度的科学竞赛的评委。在2004年国家科学周上，DJB在GU发表了题为《病毒学简介》的演讲。