Conferencia 11 de noviembre de 2019

 COORDINA LA CONFERENCIA:

 Dr. Armando Hernández García
 Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas. 

Conferencia en el Instituto de Química

SEARCH FOR THE HYDROGEN ATOM OF VIRUSES: VIRUS-LIKE-PARTICLE DELIVERY OF SELF-REPLICATING GENES

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) Molecular Biology Institute (MBI) University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Fecha: 11 de noviembre de 2019. Hora: 13:00 h

Lugar: Auditorio Lydia Rodríguez Hahn del IQ-UNAM.

Difusión y comunicación: Hortensia Segura Silva.

Entrada libre

RESUMEN

Positive-sense RNA viruses are among the simplest of all viruses, because they have the advantage that their life cycle takes place in the cytoplasm of their host cells with no need to control the traffic of viral components into and out of the nucleus. Related to this fact, their genome is a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule that is translated directly by ribosomes. The first viral protein synthesized is an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase – an RNA replicase – that strongly replicates the genome, making up to a million copies within hours. These viruses are also among the few that can be reconstituted in vitro from purified components – RNA and capsid protein.

Exploiting these facts, we use the capsid protein of a particular plant virus, cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV), and the RNA replicase gene of a particular insect virus, Nodamura (NoV), to in vitro reconstitute hybrid virus-like particles (VLPs) that contain the RNA replicase gene to which has been added genetic information of interest, such as a therapeutic gene, a vaccine, or a microRNA sequence. CCMV capsid protein is unique in that it packages a broad range of heterologous (non-viral) RNA, and the Nov RNA replicase is unique in that it works in a broad range of mammalian cells. In my talk I discuss several applications we have developed along these lines, involving delivery of VLP-protected/targeted self-amplifying RNA viral vaccines and cancer therapeutics, and microRNAs.