Award details

Studentship: Is PB1-F2 a virulence factor for avian influenza virus in poultry?

Reference	BBS/E/I/00001760
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Holly Shelton
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	94,793
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	07/01/2013
End date	31/03/2017
Duration	50 months

Abstract

Studentship; PB1-F2 is a 90 amino acid protein discovered in 2001 to be expressed from the second influenza genome segment in a +1 reading frame from the main protein PB1. Since then several different functions have been attributed to the protein including pro-apoptotic, interferon modulator, viral polymerase activity modulator and an inflammatory inducer. These functions have mostly been prescribed to the laboratory adapted influenza strain PR8 in mammalian cell lines. Recent work has shown that the PB1-F2 protein from other strains of influenza virus don’t behave in the same way. PB1-F2 is well conserved in avian influenza isolates in contrast to its frequent truncation or deletion in swine and human isolates. Therefore it stands that in the avian host PB1-F2 has an important function. Avian influenza makes frequent incursions into poultry populations resulting in economical and health burdens for farmers. In our fight to protect poultry populations from avian influenza it is important to understand any virulence factors in avian influenza strains so proper prevention and mitigation strategies can be developed. This PhD will look at several different aspects to do with PB1-F2 function in poultry to help shed some light on what it does and whether it is a virulence factor. The impact of PB1-F2 on viral replication kinetics and innate immune evasion will be investigated as well as trying to identify potentially new interactions that it may be involved in. Whilst investigating the question of PB1-F2 the PhD student will develop and use biologically relevant culture systems including immortalised chicken cell lines, primary mono-cultures, well differentiated respiratory and enteric tract cultures and ex vivo explants.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Animal Health, Immunology, Microbiology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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