Microbiology & Molecular Genetics (MMG)

PROJECT SUMMARY Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the first human cancer-causing virus to be discovered. EBV primarily infects lymphocytes and epithelial cells, which can result in a wide range of lymphomas and carcinomas, respectively. Over 90% of the world’s population is infected with this virus, but infection is mostly asymptomatic in healthy individuals. The cancer-causing potential of EBV becomes evident particularly in immunocompromised individuals, e.g.

The genome of herpes simplex virus encodes mRNAs for about 90 protein coding genes in addition to numerous noncoding RNAs. Sets of these genes are transcribed in a sequential manner by RNA pol II. The timing of their expression is dependent on the cis-acting sites for cellular transcription factors in their promoters, their requirements for virus transcription factors, and the state of viral DNA replication.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infects over one billion people, resulting in 9 million cases of tuberculosis (TB) annually, and over 1 million deaths each year. The majority of Mtb-infected individuals are unable to eliminate the pathogen, but can control it and establish latent TB. One of the biggest risk factors for developing active TB is co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Recent studies have shown that the majority of co-infected individuals are infected with HIV first and subsequently co-infected with Mtb.

There are seven known cancer viruses, two of which (Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus, KSHV/HHV8, and Merkel cell polyomavirus, MCV) were discovered by my laboratory. This R35 application will consolidate currently funded research in my laboratory and provide resources to complete currently unfunded research. It focuses on three main areas: 1) Merkel cell polyomavirus-related cancer and oncogenesis: MCV is the first polyomavirus known to cause human cancer.