Abstract Dr. Moore
Viral Infection of Primary C. elegans Cells
Direct viral infection and subsequent replication in susceptible primary host cells is critical in identifying cell and tissue tropism, mechanisms of viral replication, and host cell disease physiology. Recently the Chow laboratory has developed a disease model of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) infection in the nematode C. elegans. This nematode can therefore be used as a simple animal model for viral infections. Infection in C. elegans leads to a reduced brood size in the infected adult and a prolonging of the developmental stages in the infected larvae. Furthermore, they have shown that disease development is dependent on viral infection. To support the disease model, the Specific Aim of this proposal is to develop a cell culture system for C. elegans to confirm that VSV can infect the worm and induce a disease phenotype, identify susceptible target cells within the worm and determine whether apoptosis is induced in these targets. This will therefore establish a critical link between effects seen at both the organismal and cellular level.
Updated 10/31/2005
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