Study of the inhibitory effect of the protease 2A of different human rhinoviruses on induction of interferon

• Grant number: 12/17601-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: January 01, 2013
• End date: December 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Eurico de Arruda Neto
• Grantee: Talita Bianca Gagliardi
• Supervisor: Vincent R. Racaniello
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Columbia University in the City of New York, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/03700-0 - Two issues regarding the human rhinoviruses: the inhibitory effect of 2A protease on the induction of interferon and a search for a natural animal host, BP.PD

Abstract

Human rhinovirus (HRV) is the most frequent agent of respiratory infections in humans. In addiction to cause commom cold, HRV can predispose the host to acute otitis media, sinusitis, asthma exacerbation, chronic bronchitis and cystic fibrosis. There are more than 150 types of HRV that can co-circulate and this variability difficulties the development of a cross-reactive immune response (and protection) against all HRV-types. The structural protein VP1 of HRV is the principal target of neutralizing antibodies, however, is the 2A protease that can interfere with the innate host response. A study of poliovirus (PV) identified in vitro the inhibitory effect of 2A protease in the induction of interferon (IFN) that can increase the PV replication. The Prof. Dr. Vicent Racaniello, an important "picorna-virologist" from the Columbia University (USA) and also one of the authors of that study about PV and 2A protease, is interested in studying the INF response in relation to HRV. Because of this, he will supervise the pos-doctoral student during the development of this project on his lab. The objective of this study is to identify genes stimulated by IFN (ISG) after an in vitro infection by different species/groups (minor/major) of HRV. Following this, will be analyzed the inhibitory effect of 2A protease in IFN response using infectious clones of HRV-2, -14 and -16 and a recombinant vector of lentivirus. (AU)