Download Characterizing a Unique VSV Strain: Are Inhibition of Host

Characterizing a Unique VSV Strain: Are Inhibition of Host Transcription and IFN gene
Suppression Separable Functions
Connie Rink, Dr. Maureen C. Ferran*, Department of Biological Sciences
[email protected], [email protected]
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) is a single stranded RNA virus which has a variety of
naturally occurring strains, including two unique interferon deficient/inducing strains.
Unfortunately not much is known about these two viruses and has prompted our lab to be
interested in characterizing how these viruses interact with the host cell. These naturally
occurring viral isolates were first analyzed by a research lab at the University of Connecticut
where they reported that the viral genome from each of the strains were identical. In recent years
our lab has evidence to believe that this is false, after sequencing both of the viral genomes we
have discovered a single base pair mutation in the matrix gene of one of the isolates. In order to
characterize these viruses and determine whether inhibition of general host transcription and
interferon gene suppression occurs, HeLa cells were transfected with expression vectors one that
encodes a luciferase reporter gene and another that encodes for the IFN gene (pBlux). Post
transfection, the cells were then infected with each of the unique viral isolates. After collection
and protein analysis, the effect of from each of the viruses on the promoter activity was
measured via luciferase reporter assay. Ultimately results from this study will help to clear up the
controversy that has occurred in the VSV field over these strains.