Date of Graduation

5-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Du, Yuchun

Abstract

Of the known influenza virus strains, influenza A viruses (IAVs) are the most catastrophic due to their highly contagious nature and possibly life-threatening symptoms. IAVs invade a host cell and enter the nucleus where they use the cell’s nuclear machinery for replication of their viral RNA genome which is then exported to neighboring cells to establish a productive infection. Host pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) respond to viral infection by signaling the cell to produce type I interferons (IFNs) to fight the foreign invader. Non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of IAVs, a major component in the regulation of viral replication, opposes host cell IFN antiviral response. NS1 has been shown to interact with the cellular protein DEAD-Box Protein 1 (DDX1), an RNA helicase largely to be elucidated but known to affect transcription and regulation of ATPase and helicase activity. The NS1-DDX1 interaction may play an important role in IAV’s replication ability.

The aim of this project was to map the specific DDX1 domain responsible for the interaction with NS1 to gain a better understanding of viral replication mechanics. An in vitro protein binding assay with His-tagged DDX1 fragments and GST-tagged NS1 protein was performed and then examined using Western Blotting against His-tag and GST-tag. From this, it was determined that domain I of DDX1 interacts with NS1. This interaction may be able to serve as a target site for therapeutic drugs to combat IAVs.

Keywords

Influenza A, NS1, DDX1, IAVs, DEAD-box

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