Virus and host interaction on plus-strand RNA virus replication

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Molecular basis of host cell competency in virus infection
• Project/Area Number: 24115003
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: National Institute of Infectious Diseases
• Principal Investigator: WAKITA Takaji 国立感染症研究所, 副所長, 副所長 (40280789)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 竹安 邦夫 京都大学, 生命科学研究科, 教授 (40135695)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-06-28 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: プラス鎖RNAウイルス / HCV / 膜小胞 / AFM / 構造解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been proposed that RNA virus triggers the membranous replication compartment. In the present study, we identified that COPII and COPI proteins, PREB and Surf4, respectively promotes HCV RNA replication by participating in the formation of the membranous HCV replication compartment and maintaining its proper structure via interacting with NS4B.We also developed the application methods of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to the single molecule structural analysis of long single-stranded RNA molecules, including RNA virus genomes, and the entire structures of HCV genome and full-length 28S rRNA molecule and were successfully obtained. We also succeeded in visualizing the exo- and endo-cytosis processes at cell surface using AFM, which is expected to be useful in further analysis of virus budding processes.

Free Research Field

ウイルス学