Funds are requested to provide travel expenses for 8 junior scientists to attend the VIIth International Symposium on Corona viruses and Arteriviruses to be held in Segovia, Spain from May 10-15, 1997. Corona viruses and arteriviruses are large enveloped, plus-strand RNA viruses that cause widespread and economically important diseases of man and domestic animals. In addition to their importance in human and veterinary medicine, these viruses have a unique pattern of RNA replication and transcription with a very high frequency of recombination. A central focus of the meeting will be on the processing and function of the proteins encoded by the large, unique 5' open reading frame of these viruses that is processed by viral and possibly cellular proteases to form the viral RNA polymerase. The meeting will also address the roles of receptors and viral proteins in determining viral species specificity, pathogenesis, relevant immune responses, coronavirus evolution, and control of coronavirus and arterivirus diseases.
