The role of the foamy virus accessory protein Bet in foamy virus gene expression and replication

• Applicant: Dr. Jacqueline Roy
• Subject Area: Virology
• Term: from 2004 to 2006
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5435739

Foamy viruses (FV) are retroviruses and encode the three genes gag, pol and env, common to this group. In addition, the FV genome contains two additional accessory genes, called tas and bet. The viral transcriptional transactivator Tas is essential for viral replication whereas the function of the Bet protein is not precisely known. Besides its involvement in acute infection, Bet has been implicated in the establishment and maintenance of viral persistence. In order to gain insights into the role of Bet in FV replication and latency, the work proposed here seeks to study the function and importance of the Bet protein for various FVs. This project also seeks to identify host cellular proteins, which interact with Bet and may help to regulate FV replication in infected cells. Although the function of the FV accessory protein Bet in the replication cycle remains unknown, its presence is absolutely required for efficient replication of the feline foamy virus (FFV) and to a much lesser extent for that of prototypic foamy viruses (PFV) (Alke et al., 2001, Baunach et al., 1993, Yu & Linial, 1993).

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA