Ir. M. Westenberg : A baculovirus envelope fusion protein

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17 Mar 2004 16:00
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula (gebouw 362), Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Promotor: prof.dr. R.W. Goldbach (Virology)prof.dr. J.M. Vlak (Virology)
Co Promotor: dr. D. Zuidema

 Baculoviruses are exclusively pathogenic to arthropods, mainly to insect species. Baculoviruses are studied with the aim to develop alternatives to chemical pest control, for their application as protein expression system and as gene delivery vehicle in gene therapy. For these reasons the baculovirus GP64 protein has been extensively studied. This viral membrane fusion protein is responsible for the cell entry of the virus. However recent genomic DNA analysis has revealed that a few baculoviruses do not posses this GP64 protein. The cell entry mechanisms of these viruses have been studied, but are not different to those possessing GP64. Out of the 139 genes of the Spodoptera exigua multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus a gene encoding a novel baculovirus fusion protein have been found. Functional characterization of several domains of this so-called F protein has demonstrated that this protein has structural similarities with fusion proteins of mammalian viruses, such as measles virus.
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