Virus Host Cell Interactions in AIDS Associated PML

Brown University, Providence RI

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Abstract

The initial event of the life cycle of a virus is its interaction with receptors present on the surface of a cell. Understanding these interactions is important to our understanding of viral tropism, spread, and pathogenesis. The human papillomavirus, JCV, is the etiological agent of the fatal central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disease. progressive multi-focal leukoencephalopathy (PML). JCV has also been associated with several human tumors, including oligoastrocytoma and medullablastoma. Following primary infection, JCV establishes a lifelong persistent infection in kidney and lymphoid tissues. In a minority of individuals, the virus spreads to the CNS, infecting both oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. The mechanisms that restrict JCV tropism for these cells and tissues and the mechanisms that allow for t6he spread of JCV from the periphery to the CNS are not understood. Immunosuppressive illness, including AIDS, is a major risk factor for the development of PML and PML remains an important and life threatening disease in these patients. Our laboratory has been studying early events in the life cycle of JCV. We have determined that an N- linked glycoprotein containing terminal alpha (2-6) linked sialic acids is a critical component of the JCV receptor; that this component of the receptor is expressed in a tissue specific manner; that JCV binds selectively to cells in vivo that are associated with infection. that infection of some non-permissive cells is blocked at a step preceding early viral gene expression; and, that JCV, unlike SV40 enters cells by clathrin dependent receptor mediated endocytosis. The long term goals of our research are to define the role of virus receptors in mediating infection of cells and in determining viral tropism, spread, and pathogenesis in the infected host. Our working hypothesis, which is based on our previous work, is that JCV receptor interactions are critical determinants of viral entry, tropism, and spread within the host. We will address this hypothesis by asking the following questions: 1. What is the identity of the JCV receptor? 2. What are the cell and tissue distributions of JCV receptors? and 3. How does JCV penetrate the plasma membrane and target its genome to the nucleus? The data resulting from these studies will yield novel insights into the pathogenesis and target its genome to the nucleus? The data resulting from these studies will yield noel insights into the pathogenesis of JCV induced disease and may lead to novel therapies to prevent or treat these diseases.