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

黄病毒是世界范围内引起出血热或脑炎流行的重要人类病原体。本项目旨在研究具有广泛细胞生物学和免疫学意义的黄病毒生物学的独特方面。首先，我们建议测试一种有效组装病毒颗粒的重要机制。了解病毒生命周期的这一阶段将有利于应用重组DNA技术，以生产用于疫苗接种和基因传递的复制能力不足的病毒。其次，我们最近发现了一种免疫调节机制，迄今为止是黄病毒所独有的，它干扰了在破坏病毒感染细胞中重要的免疫反应。本项目旨在确定导致这种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.