This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
Crenarchaeal viruses such as SSV1 and STIV inhabit extreme thermal and acidic environments (T> 80oC; 4.0 > pH > 1.0) such as those found in Yellowstone National Park. SSV1 and STIV are among the best characterized of these viruses, and thus serve as important model systems for study. Sequence analyses of the SSV1 and STIV genomes, and those of other viruses from extreme thermal environments, are unable to suggest functions for most of the encoded proteins. The proposed research focuses on the use of structural biology to investigate the functional roles of the SSV and STIV proteomes, and on interactions in host organism Sulfolobus solfataricus. Structures of viral and host proteins of unknown function will be determined using crystallographic and NMR techniques. In many cases, these studies are expected to reveal structural similarity to proteins of known function, or to otherwise suggest functions that in collaboration with Dr. Mark Young, Montana State University, can be tested using biochemical and genetic experiments. Together, these studies will contribute to an increased understanding of the SSV and STIV life cycles, and the molecular interplay between these viruses and their crenarchaeal hosts.
Broader Impact: Much of the ongoing work within the MSU Thermal Biology Institute (TBI) including the characterization of hyperthermophilic viruses is being communicated to the general public through outreach programs. Target groups include K-12, tribal colleges, and other undergraduate institutions. In addition, TBI partners with the National Park Service /Yellowstone National Park in outreach to the general public within the Park. There is strong integration of the proposed research with the educational goals of the PI, Co-PI, the Department, the University, and the NSF. Students at the high school, undergraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral levels will receive significant training in biochemistry, structural biology and thermal biology. The involvement of under represented groups, particularly women and Native Americans, is actively encouraged.
