I will continue ongoing studies designed to characterize the mechanism by which the Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) facilitates the stable replication of plasmids that bear oriP, EBV's plasmid origin of replication. Together my post-doctoral mentor, Dr. Bill Sugden, and I have demonstrated that oriP-plasmids are synthesized directly by the cell, and that EBNA-1 functions post- synthetically to stabilize oriP-plasmids. Our work also demonstrates that human cells can actively eliminate extra- chromosomal DNAs. This application experimentally addresses the process by which human cells eliminate plasmids, by defining when it occurs in the cell-cycle, and understanding the mechanism by which those viruses that maintain their genomes as plasmids in human cells overcome it. It also experimentally addresses the mechanism by which oriP-plasmids are stabilized so that they can be partitioned faithfully to daughter cells, and the contributions of EBNA-1 to these processes.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
5K01CA082177-04
Application #
6377297
Study Section
Subcommittee G - Education (NCI)
Program Officer
Eckstein, David J
Project Start
1999-09-30
Project End
2004-09-29
Budget Start
2001-09-30
Budget End
2002-09-29
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$149,084
Indirect Cost
Name
Northwestern University at Chicago
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
005436803
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60611