Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Rowan Sturgill, and I am a first-year applied mathematics major from Lexington, Kentucky. I am a premedical student with a passion for the molecular biology of medicine, which has inspired me to continue biomedical research after my previous experience. I plan to continue research in this field to learn about and contribute to the scientific side of medicine, which I hope to study in the future.

Novel versions of Cyclophilin A based markers to visualize HIV-1 capsids inside living cells

Abstract

This project aims to evaluate the amino acid composition in the host protein
Cyclophilin A (CypA) domain required for its binding to the HIV-1 capsid. A
chimeric version, CypA-DsRed (CDR), binds capsids with high avidity and serves
as a marker for HIV-1 uncoating. A series of CypA modifications were evaluated
in CDR for the ability to (1) bind capsids and incorporate into virus particles, (2)
affect virus infectivity and (3) bind to native HIV-1 cores in vitro. HIV-1 particles
were prepared by co-transfecting 293T cells with plasmid DNA encoding HIV-1
and CDR mutants, and their incorporation into virus particles were assessed.
Confocal microscopy of virus supernatants showed that the truncated CDR
versions were incorporated into HIV-1 virions, but less efficiently. The effects of
CDR incorporation on virus infectivity and binding on glass were then evaluated.
Analysis will collectively help pinpoint the amino acid residues in CypA domains
that effectively bind to the HIV-1 capsid protein.

Keywords: Biology, cell, virus, medicine, HIV