The long-term of objective of this research is to understand the mechanisms used by nuclear polyhedrosis viruses to control their gene expression. This virus has been chosen as a model for gene expression in eukaryotes; it has the advantage of being relatively simple and yet complex enough to employ a variety of interesting control mechanisms. A better understanding of the control of gene expression in this virus will probably shed light on the control of gene expression that occurs during human development and during the progression of a normal cell to a cancer cell. The present project contains two major specific aims: 1) to identify the viral gene(s) that confer(s) alpha-amanitin resistance on Spodoptera (host) cells. It is possible that these genes play a role in the switch from alpha-amanitin-sensitive transcription of early viral genes by host polymerase to the alpha-amanitin-resistant transcription of the late viral genes.
This specific aim will be approached by transfecting Spodoptera cells with cloned viral DNA fragments and assaying the transfected cells for alpha-amanitin-resistance. (It is already clear that viral infection very rapidly confers alpha-amanitin-resistance.) When the relevant genes are identified, they and their transcripts will be mapped using restriction mapping, S1-mapping and Northern blotting. The genes will also be sequenced. 2) The second specific aim is to compare the structure of a novel alpha-amanitin-resistant RNA polymerase appearing in the late phase of infection with host RNA polymerase II. The enzymes will be purified using monoclonal antibodies directed against them, if possible. If this proves impractical, the enzymes will be purified by conventional means, employing column chromatography, liquid chromatography and ultracentrifugation. The subunit strucures of the enzymes will be determined. If they appear identical, possible charge differences in the enzyme subunits will be investigated. The genes for any virus-coded subunits in the novel enzyme will be mapped.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01GM022127-10
Application #
3270948
Study Section
Biochemistry Study Section (BIO)
Project Start
1978-12-01
Project End
1988-06-30
Budget Start
1985-07-01
Budget End
1986-06-30
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
1985
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Kansas Lawrence
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
072933393
City
Lawrence
State
KS
Country
United States
Zip Code
66045
Yang, C L; Stetler, D A; Weaver, R F (1991) Structural comparison of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus-induced RNA polymerase and the three nuclear RNA polymerases from the host, Spodoptera frugiperda. Virus Res 20:251-64
Tilakaratne, N; Hardin, S E; Weaver, R F (1991) Nucleotide sequence and transcript mapping of the HindIII F region of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus genome. J Gen Virol 72 ( Pt 2):285-91
Huh, N E; Weaver, R F (1990) Categorizing some early and late transcripts directed by the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus. J Gen Virol 71 ( Pt 9):2195-200
Huh, N E; Weaver, R F (1990) Identifying the RNA polymerases that synthesize specific transcripts of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus. J Gen Virol 71 ( Pt 1):195-201
Hardin, S E; Weaver, R F (1990) Overlapping divergent transcripts mapping to the HindIII F region of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus. J Gen Virol 71 ( Pt 1):225-9
Qin, J C; Liu, A F; Weaver, R F (1989) Studies on the control region of the p10 gene of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus. J Gen Virol 70 ( Pt 5):1273-9
Bilofsky, H S; Burks, C (1988) The GenBank genetic sequence data bank. Nucleic Acids Res 16:1861-3
Bilofsky, H S; Burks, C; Fickett, J W et al. (1986) The GenBank genetic sequence databank. Nucleic Acids Res 14:1-4
Rankin, C; Ladin, B F; Weaver, R F (1986) Physical mapping of temporally regulated, overlapping transcripts in the region of the 10K protein gene in Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus. J Virol 57:18-27
Liu, A; Qin, J C; Rankin, C et al. (1986) Nucleotide sequence of a portion of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus genome containing the EcoRI site-rich region (hr5) and an open reading frame just 5' of the p10 gene. J Gen Virol 67 ( Pt 11):2565-70

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