Bret Peterson, Microbial Biology

Faculty Mentor: Britt Glaunsinger

HIV Transcriptional Activation via KSHV ORF45 and Epigenetic Regulation

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a common infection among immuno-compromised individuals, in particular, in individuals infected with HIV. Experiments outlined in this proposal are aimed at uncovering the functional significance of a transcriptional activator’s (ORF-45) interactions with epigenetic factors, as well as determining how these factors contribute to activator’s ability to transcriptionally activate the HIV-1 promoter.