# GENE REGULATION OF MAMMALIAN DNA VIRUSES

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 1987 · $199,160

## Abstract

We plan to study in detail a series of "white pock" host range mutants of rabbit
poxvirus (RPmu mutants) which in nonpermissive cells are blocked at many stages
of viral development.  As a major effort, we plan to continue our mapping
studies on these mutants, which we have shown to be the result of deletions, by
the use of restriction enzyme analysis.  Our studies on the five mutants that we
have examined have already implicated 17% of the viral genome in the host range
phenonema.  Our data show that these five mutants result in three different
phenotypes in nonpermissive cells, offering the possiblity of correlating
defined regions of the genome to a specific function.  As a step in this
direction, we plan to map the remaining 15 host range RPmu mutants in our
collection and characterize them as to what steps in the synthesis and
processing of macromolecules are blocked in the nonpermissive host and why.  We
also plan to extend our genetic mapping studies to include a series of "white
pock" nonhost range mutants, also probably deletions, which because they readily
recombine with the host range mutants, should lie elsewhere on the genome.  We
have already biochemically characterized two mutants which appear to be blocked
at the level of translation.  We propose to study the mechanism of this
translation block in detail.  Three additional mutants are blocked at the level
of morphogenesis, and synthesized aberrant virus-like particles different from
one another.  We plan to characterize the aberrant particles by biophysical and
electron microsopic means, as well as by assay of virion-associated enzymatic
activities.  Since the existence of host range mutants reflects biochemical
differances between cells, we hope to use our information to begin to explore
these differences which allow the selective invasion of target organs and
tissues in vivo and lead to the disease state asociated with a given viral
infection.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3126384
- **Project number:** 5R01AI015722-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** NNFQH1JAPEP3
- **Principal Investigator:** Richard W Moyer
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $199,160
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1987-02-01 → 1988-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3126384

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3126384, GENE REGULATION OF MAMMALIAN DNA VIRUSES (5R01AI015722-09). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3126384. Licensed CC0.

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