Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Production of mature bovine adenovirus-3 (BAdV-3) virions require double stranded viral DNA and viral proteins (non-structural and structural). The non-structural viral proteins are expressed during early\late times post infection but do not form the part of mature infectious progeny visions. Most of the structural proteins are produced at late times post infection and are part of the mature infectious progeny visions. Of these, protein V is a structural proteins which appears to be involved in ribosome biogenesis and in maintaining the integrity of viral capsid for the production of progeny BAdV-3. We believe that involvement of BAdV-3 protein V in the production of mature infectious progeny virions may require protein-protein interactions. In fact, our initial experiments suggest that BAdV-3 protein V may interact with viral (IVa2) and cellular (nucleoli and DDX21) proteins. The overall goal is to confirm and characterize these protein-protein interactions, and elucidate the role these interactions may play in different functions of protein V.The goal will be achieved by a) confirming and characterizing the interaction of protein V with viral protein IVa2, b) confirming and characterizing the interaction of BAdV-3 protein V with cellular proteins nucleolin and DDX21, c) mapping the domains of i) protein V interacting with IVa2, nucleoli and DDX21, ii) IVa2, nucleoli and DDX21 interacting with protein V, d) determining the biological significance of of these interactions in the production of mature infectious progeny visions by constructing and evaluating recombinant bovine adenovirus-3 expressing mutant (interacting domain deleted\substituted) protein V. The results of this study will help us in understanding and elucidating the functions of these interactions in the production of mature infectious progeny BAdV-3. Since protein V is Mastadenovirus genus specific protein, the findings of the proposed research will not only help in further elucidation and advancing the knowledge on BAdV-3 biology, but also about other members of Mastadenovirus genus. In addition, the research findings may pave way for developing and evaluating improved BAdV-3 based vaccine delivery vehicles for animal vaccination. Thus, both academicians (teaching\research) and animal health industry including producer groups will be benefited.