Validating siRNA silence and specificity for myosin expressed in macrophages

• Grant number: 17/01313-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2017
• End date: December 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Bruna Cunha Gondim de Alencar
• Grantee: Letícia Kogachi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/23225-0 - Role of myosins in dendritic cell mediated trans-infection of HIV-1 and in HIV-1 replication in macrophages, AP.JP

Abstract

Macrophages are considered important reservoirs for the HIV-1 virus. Several pieces of evidence point to the participation of the actin cytoskeleton in the replication of HIV-1 in macrophages. In spite of that, not much is known about motor proteins, including myosins, in the HIV-1 cycle. In order to implement the study of the participation of cellular myosins in HIV replication, they will be silenced using siRNAs. This project aims to confirm the expression of myosins on macrophages and find two siRNA sequences that silence each expressed myosin. (AU)