University of Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases Molecular VirologyCentre for Integrative Infectious Disease Research (CIID) Heidelberg, GERMANY
Cell-autonomous and non-autonomous unfolded protein response in virus-host interactions
Host: A. Marcello
Unfolded protein response (UPR) is a cellular stress response pathway aimed as restoring ER homeostasis activated in response to misfolded protein accumulation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Though viruses are long known to modulate UPR but recent studies have highlighted novel viral strategies of manipulating UPR activation and signaling cascades at fundamental and molecular virology levels either via cell autonomous or non-autonomous principles. These strategies highlight the potential for answering fundamental questions in UPR signaling and regulation. First, I will discuss the presence and significance of reverse signal transduction in UPR signaling, mediated by a viral protein, along with its role during conventional UPR signaling. This involves understanding the forward signal transduction process within the ER during UPR, where transmembrane sensor proteins (e.g., PERK, IRE1a, and ATF6) detect ER stress and initiate UPR signaling. Second, I will discuss my past and current approaches for studying the role of IRE1a clusters formed during conventional and pathogen-induced UPR, which is still unclear. Third, I will discuss how cell non-autonomous UPR plays a vital role in viral spread and pathogenicity and what are the critical unknowns for future studies. Lastly, I will discuss the relevance of single cell UPR studies in viral infections through deeper understanding of the mechanisms affecting virus spread and disease severity.
Bio
Vibhu Prasad is currently a postdoctoral fellow at University of Heidelberg in Germany. He did his Bachelor studies in VIT University in Vellore, India. He then completed his Masters of Science degree and Doctoral research in the group of Professor Urs Greber at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, where he studied viral trafficking and unfolded protein response during virus infections. He joined the group of Professor Ralf Bartenschlager in 2020 as an EMBO long-term postdoctoral fellow at the University of Heidelberg where his research interests are in the field of virus-induced membrane rearrangements, signaling, and unfolded protein response.
International Seminar Programme
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