Genome-wide siRNA screening against adenovirus infection

• Applicant: Dr. Nina Wolfrum
• Subject Area: Virology
• Term: from 2006 to 2008
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 30327675

The overall aim here is to identify cellular factors facilitating entry and replication of human adenoviruses in cultured cells using a high throughput siRNA library screening procedure. In the selection scheme, low viral doses will be utilized to infect cells harboring a specific set of three siRNAs targeted to one particular gene. Therefore, siRNAs will be identified exclusively affecting the primary pathway of infectious entry. The main goal of this study is the identification of cellular factors supporting or impairing viral infection. Supporting factors are likely to be part of the cellular core machinery facilitating the trafficking of adenoviral genomes into the nucleus. Factors impairing viral infection are potential candidates mediating host cell restriction at the level of virus entry and replication. Thus, this approach is expected to reveal new host cell factors involved in adenovirus infection and provide new insights into virus-host interactions. Shedding new light on general, yet poorly understood, mechanisms of cell function supporting infection may foster the development of new strategies in, both, future gene and chemical therapy approaches.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Host: Professor Dr. Urs Greber