Structural Studies of Pestivirus Envelope Glycoproteins

Pestiviruses cause a wide range of symptoms from neural symptoms to loss of foetuses in utero or shortly after birth. This had a significant economic impact as the main animals affected by these viruses are livestock such as pigs, cows, and sheep. Currently the mechanism of cell entry is unknown and thought to be different from other viruses. Understanding the mechanism of cell entry could enable a targeted treatment as blocking cell entry would prevent infection. This project aims to investigate this entry mechanism through structural studies of the proteins known to be responsible for cell entry. These structural studies will be complimented by microscopy and biochemical experiments investigating how these proteins interact with each other.

AfS, ENWW