Role of DNA repair, SUMOylation and nuclear bodies in the formation of the hepatitis B virus cccDNA persistence reservoir (16)

• Subject Area: Virology
• Term: since 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 272983813

Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, around 240 million people worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). At present there is no cure since current therapies do not target the persistence reservoir of the virus, which is the episomal covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). In this project we will therefore investigate the impact of (i) promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies (PML-NBs), (ii) the DNA repair machinery and (iii) posttranslational modifications on cccDNA establishment and maintenance to unravel cellular and viral strategies involved in the establishment and maintenance of HBV cccDNA reservoirs in the nucleus.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 179: Determinants and dynamics of elimination versus persistence of hepatitis virus infection
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Michael Nassal, until 6/2020; Professorin Dr. Sabrina Schreiner