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Mechanisms of African Swine Fever virus factory formation

ReferenceBBS/E/I/00001041
Principal Investigator / Supervisor Dr Haru - Hisa Takamatsu
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Institution The Pirbright Institute
DepartmentThe Pirbright Institute Department
Funding typeResearch
Value (£) 846,136
StatusCompleted
TypeInstitute Project
Start date 01/04/2003
End date 30/06/2009
Duration75 months

Abstract

ASFV is a very large enveloped DNA virus that replicates in the cytoplasm of cells. The virus encodes between 150 and 200 proteins, and 50 of these can be incorporated into virions. The assembly of ASFV takes place in specialised cytoplasmic structures called virus factories. Interestingly, we have show that ASFV factories are very similar to aggresomes. Aggresomes are organelles that use microtubules to concentrate misfolded or incorrectly assembled proteins within cytoplasmic inclusions located next to the microtubule organising centre. It is possible that the aggresome pathway is exploited by ASFV to concentrate structural proteins at sites of virus assembly. One of the most striking features shared by virus factories and aggresomes is the rearrangement of the intermediate filament protein, vimentin into cages surrounding the sequestered proteins. Rearrangement of vimentin filaments in cells normally involves phosphorylation of the protein on critical serine residues and transport of filament precursors to new cellular sites by microtubules. We are currently investigating whether these processes are required for the formation of vimentin cages in cells infected with ASFV. We have also shown that African Swine Fever virus (ASFV) receives two envelopes by being wrapped by membrane cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and we are investigating how membrane proteins encoded by ASFV recruit the ER into virus factories.

Summary

unavailable
Committee Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research TopicsAnimal Health, Microbiology
Research PriorityX – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative X - not in an Initiative
Funding SchemeX – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
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