Characterization of the RNA-protein interactions involved in the replication of Subviral RNAs

植物类病毒和丁型肝炎病毒（HDV）具有非常小的RNA基因组，并且在其生命周期中仅依赖于与宿主蛋白质的相互作用。为了更好地了解这些亚病毒RNA物种以及基于RNA的生命形式如何复制，我的长期目标是确定宿主蛋白质和参与其生物学的RNA基序。为了实现这一目标，我的研究计划将使用三种综合方法：**1）使用分子生物学，我将鉴定一种类病毒（即马铃薯纺锤块茎类病毒; PSTVd）和HDV使用的宿主蛋白，并表征它们结合的RNA基序。2)使用遗传学和生物信息学，我将确定在几种亚病毒RNA物种复制过程中保守和选择的基因组RNA特征。3)使用进化遗传学，我将选择一个来自HDV RNA基因组的小RNA复制子，以更好地了解基于RNA的生命形式。通过整合这些方法，我的多学科研究计划将允许了解这些独特的基于RNA的生命形式的生物学。这些发现和方法也将对其他生物过程中RNA-蛋白质相互作用的全面研究有价值，并将对研究RNA分子的结构-功能关系产生广泛的影响。

Plant viroids and the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) have very small RNA genomes and rely solely on interaction with host proteins for their life cycle. To better understand these subviral RNA species and how RNA-based life forms replicate, my long term objective is to identify both the host proteins and the RNA motifs involved in their biology. To achieve this goal, my research program will use three integrative approaches:******1) Using Molecular Biology, I will identify host proteins used by one viroid (i.e. potato spindle tuber viroid; PSTVd) and HDV, and characterize the RNA motifs they bind.***2) Using Genetics and Bioinformatics, I will identify the genomic RNA features that are conserved and selected for during the replication of several subviral RNA species.***3) Using Evolutionary genetics, I will select a small RNA replicon derived from the HDV RNA genome to better understand RNA-based life forms.******By integrating these approaches, my multidisciplinary research program will allow to understand the biology of these unique RNA-based life forms. These findings and approaches will also be valuable for comprehensive investigations of RNA-protein interactions in other biological processes, and will have broad implications for studying the structure-function relationships of RNA molecules.**