Our research is focused on Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) epigenome and the proteins encoded by the virus to understand their role in viral latency. Viral latency is the ability of a pathogenic virus to lie dormant within a cell. We focus on LANA, a viral protein that binds to the viral DNA and is central for viral latency.
We are interested in understanding the mechanisms involved in the establishment and modulation of herpesviral chromatin by LANA:
- chromatin modulation governs the infectious or persistent cycle of herpesviruses;
- the viral epigenome is a microcosm of the cell genome, and important insights into chromatin modification can be discovered from viral modulation;
- the herpesvirus LANA protein interacts with host chromatin modifiers to regulate the cellular chromatin machinery
LANA recruits heterochromatin components to the viral genome to establish latent infection. LANA orchestrates interactions with host chromatin modifiers to regulate the cellular chromatin machinery to maintain the viral epigenome. The McVey lab combines both biophysical and structural methods to understand the protein interactions involved in chromatin modulation by LANA.
Establishment and maintenance of viral epigenome
Ongoing projects:
- Structural basis of Viral DNA binding by LANA
- Mechanism of DNA cooperative binding and oligomerization by LANA
- Characterization of LANA chromatin modifier complexes
A nossa investigação foca-se no estudo dos mecanismos envolvidos no estabelecimento de latência e modulação da cromatina herpesviral. A modulação da cromatina é um processo fundamental que governa o ciclo infeccioso ou persistente dos vírus do herpes. O objetivo a longo prazo é entender como esses processos contribuem para a tumorigénese do vírus Herpes.
