INFECTIOUS DISEASES SEMINAR SERIES

Qiliang Cai, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator, Research Professor

MOH&MOE Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology

School of Basic Medical Sciences

Fudan University Shanghai Medical College

“Hypoxia-related SUMO-2 modification is essential for KSHV pathogenesis”

Time: 15: 45, Jan12, 2014(Monday)

Place: Medical Science Building B321

Host: Dr. Gong Cheng

Abstract: Hypoxia stress is a common feature of tumor microenvironment and is widely associated with pathogenesis linked to many oncogenic viruses. Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), the etiological cause of Kaposi’s sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma, has been reported to encode several proteins that usurp hypoxia signaling during infection. How KSHV controls life cycle in normoxia and hypoxia is not fully understood. In past 10 years, our works revealed that KSHV-encoded LANA contains a SUMO-interacting motif (LANASIM) specific for SUMO-2 binding, and recruits a hypoxia-sensitive complex with SUMO-2 modification which plays a critical role in silencing viral gene expression. This discovery not only adds to our understanding of hypoxia-mediated remodeling of the viral episome, but also provides a new dimension to development of therapeutic strategies against KSHV-associated cancers.

Light Refreshments will be served!!!