Date of Award
9-29-2008
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Teryl Frey - Chair
Second Advisor
Zhi-Ren Liu
Third Advisor
Richard Dix
Abstract
As a model for studying apoptosis associated with pathogenesis of congenital rubella syndrome, bicistronic rubella virus (RUBV) replicons expressing an antibiotic resistance gene in the presence (925-IN) or absence (IN-IN) of RUBV capsid protein (C) were constructed. Apoptosis was assessed by detection of caspase activation, chromatin fragmentation, and flow cytometry. 925-IN cells grew similarly to Vero, but IN-IN cells demonstrated caspase activation, chromatin fragmentation and cell cycle arrest. Whereas Vero cells transfected with P150 exhibited rapid apoptosis not detected in transfected Vero cells stably expressing C, neither exhibited cell cycle alterations, indicating a cell cycle stall not associated with apoptosis. Finally, two human epithelial cells, HEK293 and A549, transfected with P150 failed to exhibit apoptosis, indicating that while replicon-transfected Vero cells are useful for studying apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, the results are not applicable to other cell types.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/1059213
Recommended Citation
Kanak, Alison Elizabeth, "Induction of Apoptosis by Rubella Virus Non-Structural Replicase and Rescue by Capsid." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2008.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/1059213