# HSV GLYCOPROTEINS: GENETICS, BIOCHEMISTRY AND IMMUNOLOGY

> **NIH NIH R01** · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · 1987 · $102,924

## Abstract

Despite the tremendous clinical significance of the diseases caused by the
five human herpes viruses, little is known about immunity to these
viruses.  Recent studies with HSV-1, however, have indicated that the
primary inducers and targets of humoral and cell-mediated immunity are the
viral glycoproteins.  The availability of HSV-1 mutants unable to
synthesize one or more viral glycoproteins would afford a unique
opportunity to examine the role of each glycoprotein in the immune response
to this virus.  Moreover, mutants exhibiting specific defects in
glycoprotein synthesis would constitute invaluable tools for dissecting the
stages in HSV-1 glycoprotein synthesis, maturation and expression.  We
propose, therefore, to isolate and characterize glycoprotein-deficient
mutants of HSV-1.  For mutant isolation, wild-type virus and cloned
wild-type viral DNA fragments encoding the structural genes for viral
glycoproteins will be mutagenized.  Mutations in mutagenized fragments will
be transferred to the wild-type virus genome by co-transfection of cells
with mutagenized fragments and wild-type viral DNA.  Mutants will be
selected by immune cytolysis mediated either by glycoprotein-specific
antisera and complement or by lymphocytes immune to specific
glycoproteins.  This procedure has already resulted in the isolation of
mutants which exhibit altered synthesis and/or expression of three of the
five major HSV-1 glycoproteins.  Mutants with altered specificity in
neutralization tests will also be sought using monoclonal antibodies.
Following their isolation, mutants will be characterized immunologically
and biochemically.  Immunologic characterization will include tests of the
ability of mutant-infected cells to serve as inducers and targets of
humoral and cell-mediated immunity.  Mutant glycoproteins and glycoprotein
precursors will be characterized biochemically with regard to synthesis,
maturation and expression at the cell surface.  Collectively, these studies
should serve to expand current knowledge of 1) the roles of individual
viral glycoproteins in the induction of immunity to HSV, and 2)
glycoprotein processing in HSV-infected cells.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3128033
- **Project number:** 5R01AI018585-05
- **Recipient organization:** DANA-FARBER CANCER INST
- **SAM.gov UEI:** DPMGH9MG1X67
- **Principal Investigator:** PRISCILLA A SCHAFFER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $102,924
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-07-01 → 1988-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3128033

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3128033, HSV GLYCOPROTEINS: GENETICS, BIOCHEMISTRY AND IMMUNOLOGY (5R01AI018585-05). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3128033. Licensed CC0.

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