Single virus imaging of early steps of HIV replication

30 years of extensive research have revealed a wealth of information on the HIV-1 replication cycle and the essential virus-host interactions. This contributed to the development of potent anti-retroviral therapy. Since antiviral therapy is lifelong, research towards a cure remains mandatory. At present HIV molecular virology studies are based on purified proteins or ensemble measurements in infected cells, ignoring the heterogeneous nature of a viral infection. In contrast, single virus studies allow a quantitative understanding of individual replication steps and can provide additional information on fast and transient interactions. During the last 4 years my group in close collaboration with Dr. J. Hofkens built a fluorescence microscopy technology platform to unravel ill understood replications steps of HIV: uncoating, trafficking, nuclear import and integration. for single molecule analysis. In collaboration with Dr. S. De Feyter we apply AFM In collaboration with Prof. Arthur Van Aerschot we develop technologies to label viral DNA specifically. In this proposal we will 1. Optimize the single virus imaging technology for live-cell and superresolution imaging. 2. Apply the technology to study HIV nuclear import, 3. Introduce novel branched DNA technology to image HIV gene expression from single provirus in light of our HIV Cure research.

Keywords:HIV

Disciplines:Microbiology, Systems biology, Laboratory medicine