SFB 490:  Mechanisms of Invasion and Persistence of Infectious Agents

• Subject Area: Medicine ; Biology
• Term: from 2000 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5483829

The projects in this Research Network are dedicated to the analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of important viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. Chronic viral hepatitis is a main theme. The biogenesis of viral proteins and virus replication, and consequences invoked thereby in host cells are under study. Central aspects of the immune response and immune evasion mechanisms are being investigated. Possibilities of modulating the immune response are probed with the ultimate aim of developing novel therapeutic strategies. The Network further researches mechanisms of invasion, latency, and reactivation of Herpes and Papilloma viruses (CMV and HPV). A major topic relates to events involved in the immunological control of latent CMV infections. Processes of relevance to infections by HPV are studied employing pseudoviruses which are obtained by packaging heterologous DNA in recombinant HPV capsids. In the general context of cell invasion, a number of projects focus on the problem of how infectious agents overcome the cell membrane barrier. Molecular events underlying the generation of transmembrane pores and cellular reactions invoked by membrane damage are studied. Mechanisms of cellular invasion by bacteria and protozoa, and principles of immune defence against these agents represent further topics of interest in the Research Network.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres

Completed projects

• A1 - Virus/Wirt-Interaktionen bei Infektionen mit Hepatitis-B- und Hepatitis-D-Viren (Project Head Prange, Reinhild )
• A2 - Molekulare Analyse der Hepatitis C-Virus-/Wirtszellwechselwirkung (Project Head Bartenschlager, Ralf Friedrich Wilhelm )
• A3 - Genetische Grundlagen der Immunantwort gegen Hepatitis Viren-Untersuchungen am Modell der Hepatitis B Surface-Antigen Impfung (Project Heads Höhler, Thomas ;  Schneider, Peter Matthias )
• A4 - Entwicklung immuntherapeutischer Strategien zur Überwindung der Viruspersistenz bei chronischer Hepatitis B und C (Project Head Löhr, Hanns )
• A5 - Die Bedeutung von proinflammatorischen Zytokinen und Transkriptionesfaktoren in der Pathogenese der chronischen Hepatitis B (Project Head Schlaak, Jörg Friedrich )
• A6 - Rolle der Antigen-Präsentation in der Leber für die Viruspersistenz (Project Heads Herkel, Johannes ;  Lohse, Ansgar W. )
• A7 - Interferenz des Hepatitis B Virus mit Apoptose-induzierenden und Leber-regenerativen Mechanismen (Project Heads Galle, Peter R. ;  Strand, Ph.D., Dennis J. )
• A8 - Immuntherapie der chronischen HBV-Infektion in vitro und im HBV-trimären Mausmodell (Project Head Böcher, Wulf Otto )
• B1 - Immunlogische Kontrolle der latenten Cytomegalovirus-Infektion (Project Heads Grzimek-Koschewa, Natascha ;  Reddehase, Matthias J. )
• B2 - Regulation der Antigenpräsentation bei Cytomegalovirus-Infektion (Project Head Plachter, Bodo )
• B4 - Virales Interleukin-6: Struktur, Pahtophysiologie und Strategien zu seiner Neutralisierung (Project Head Rose-John, Stefan )
• B5 - Invasionsmechanismen von Humanpapillomviren (Project Heads Sapp, Martin ;  Streeck, Rolf Eberhard )
• B6 - Persistenz des murinen Cytomegalovirus nach Modulation des CD8 T-Zell Immunoms (Project Head Holtappels, Rafaela )
• B7 - Molekulare Interaktionen bei der MHC-Klasse-I-restringierten Antigenprozessierung (Project Head Schild, Hansjörg )
• C1 - Struktur und Funktion porenbildender Toxine (Project Heads Valeva, Angela ;  Walev, Iwan )
• C2 - Transkriptionsanalyse in permeabilisierten Zellen (Project Heads Bhakdi, Sucharit ;  Husmann, Matthias )
• C3 - Die Bedeutung des "klassischen" und des Mennose-binding lectin- (MBL)- Aktivierungsweges der Komplementkaskade bei bakteriellen Infektionen (Project Head Loos, Michael )
• C4 - Immunologische Kontrolle der Infektion mit Mykobakterien (Project Head Maeurer, Markus Josef )
• C5 - Analyse der Invasion von Epithelzellen durch parasitäre Darmprotozoen (Project Head Petry, Franz )
• C6 - Analyse der Interaktion von Leishmania major mit epidermalen Langerhanszellen/dendritischen Zellen (Project Head von Stebut-Borschitz, Ruth Esther )
• C7 - Analyse der pathogenetischen Bedeutung von Epstein-Barr virus induced gene 3 (EBI-3) bei der Persistenz bakteriell induzierter intestinaler Entzündungsreaktionen (Project Head Neurath, Markus F. )
• D01 - Virus/host-interactions in Hepatitis B- and Hepatitis D-Virus infections (Project Head Prange, Reinhild )
• D02 - Invasion mechanisms of human papilloma viruses (Project Heads Florin, Luise ;  Lambert, Carsten )
• D03 - Structure and function of pore-forming toxins (Project Heads Husmann, Matthias ;  Valeva, Angela )
• D04 - Pore-forming mechanism of S. aureus á-toxin (Project Heads Decker, Heinz ;  Hellmann, Nadja )
• D05 - Zellbiologische Aspekte porenbildender Toxine (Project Heads Bhakdi, Sucharit ;  Husmann, Matthias )
• D06 - Receptor-mediated L. major pathogen recognition and activation of dendritic cells (Project Head von Stebut-Borschitz, Ruth Esther )
• D07 - Resistance to infections with the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium parvum (Project Head Petry, Franz )
• D08 - Analyse der pathogenetischen Bedeutung von Epstein-Barr viruinduced gene 3 (EBI3) und IL-27 bei der Persistenz bakteriell induzierter Entzündungsreaktionen (Project Head Neurath, Markus F. )
• D09 - Die Bedeutung des "klassischen" und des Mannan-binding lectin-(MBL)-Aktivierungsweges der Komplementkaskade bei bakteriellen Infektionen (Project Head Loos, Michael )
• E01 - Immuntherapie der chronischen HBV-Infektion in vitro und im HBV-trimären Mausmodell (Project Head Böcher, Wulf Otto )
• E02 - Immunological control of latent cytomegalovirus infection (Project Heads Grzimek-Koschewa, Natascha ;  Reddehase, Matthias J. )
• E03 - Murine cytomegalovirus persistence after modulation of the CD8 T-cell immunome (Project Head Holtappels, Rafaela )
• E04 - Antigen presentation under the influence of murine cytomegalovirus immune evasins (Project Heads Reddehase, Matthias J. ;  Strand, Ph.D., Dennis J. )
• E06 - Molecular interactions during MHC class I-restricted antigen processing (Project Heads Schild, Hansjörg ;  Tenzer, Stefan )
• E07 - Regulation der Antigenpräsentation bei Cytomegalovirus-Infektion (Project Head Plachter, Bodo )
• E08 - The role of antigen presenting cells in tolerance and pathogenicity of CD8+ T cells during viral and parasitic infection (Project Head Waisman, Ari )
• V - Central Task of the Collaborative Research Center (Project Head Bhakdi, Sucharit )
• Z1 - Zentraler Zuständigkeitsbereich Quantitative PCR (Project Head Reddehase, Matthias J. )
• Z02 - Zentraler Zuständigkeitsbereich Versuchstiereinrichtung (Project Head Reddehase, Matthias J. )
• Z03 - Massenspektrometrie (Project Head Tenzer, Stefan )

• Applicant Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi