Adenovirus (Ad) is a widely studied DNA virus, but the nucleoprotein structure of the
viral genome in the cell is poorly characterized. Our objective is to study Ad DNA-protein
associations and how these affect the viral life cycle. Most of the viral DNA condensing
protein, protein VII, is lost within a few hours of infection and this loss is independent of
transcription. Cellular histones associate with the viral DNA after removal of protein VII,
with a preferential deposition of H3.3. Micrococcal nuclease accessibility assays at 6 hpi
showed laddering of the viral DNA, suggesting the genome is wrapped in physiologically
spaced nucleosomes. Although viral DNA continues to associate with H3.3 at late times of
infection, the overall level of association with histones is greatly reduced. Knockdown of the
H3.3 chaperone HIRA had no effect on the viral life cycle suggesting that other H3.3
chaperones are involved. Our studies have begun to elucidate the nucleoprotein structure of
Ad DNA in the infected cell nucleus.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/24931 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Giberson, Andrea N. |
| Contributors | Parks, Robin |
| Publisher | Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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