Temporal regulation of influenza virus infectivity
Supervisor: Dr Ed Hutchinson
Like many medically important viruses, influenza viruses are transmitted through virions that can vary markedly in their form and composition. We have previously shown that the proteins incorporated into influenza virions can be determined by the host species, and we now have data showing that the virions shed from a single infected cell change as the infection progresses. Infected cells shed influenza virions for hours, and virions shed at later timepoints incorporate exponentially increasing amounts of a viral immunosuppressive protein. Preliminary data suggest that this makes ‘late’ virions more able to overcome the defences of new host cells, which could help to overcome the effects of paracrine immune signalling. In this rotation project, you will use virology, cell biology and flow cytometry methods to test whether influenza is able to use its flexible architecture to increase in infectivity as an infection progresses.