An integrative approach to understand viral-host adapter interactions
Duration: 36 weeks (Master thesis)
BACKGROUND
Latency-Associated Nuclear Antigen (LANA) is a herpesvirus multifunctional protein responsible for tethering viral DNA to the chromosome ensuring maintenance and segregation of the viral genome during cell division. LANA is a DNA binding protein and localizes to multiple terminal repeats (TR) DNA sites on the viral epigenome that assemble to form supramolecular dot structures. These LANA orchestrated assembles in KSHV-infected cells recruit heterochromatin components to the viral genome that modulate chromatin structure to ensure its persistence in the host.
OBJECTIVES
The project will use an integrative approach to explore and detail the LANA interactions, using recombinant DNA strategies (affinity tags, co-expression, design of protein truncations) and biophysical methods (ITC interaction analysis, structure determination and analysis), to characterise viral LANA protein interactions with host cell chromatin adaptor proteins.
Suitable for those interested in protein interactions using biophysical methods.