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An investigation into the specific function of the vaccinia virus 13.8 kDa protein encoded by the N1
Includes bibliographical references.
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Division of Virology
2014
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| _version_ | 1867613225278767104 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Abrahams, Melissa-Rose Hilda |
| author2 | Kotwal, Girish J |
| author_browse | Abrahams, Melissa-Rose Hilda Kotwal, Girish J |
| author_facet | Kotwal, Girish J Abrahams, Melissa-Rose Hilda |
| author_sort | Abrahams, Melissa-Rose Hilda |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Includes bibliographical references. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8637 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:45.765Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publishDateRange | 2014 |
| publishDateSort | 2014 |
| publisher | Division of Virology |
| publisherStr | Division of Virology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8637 An investigation into the specific function of the vaccinia virus 13.8 kDa protein encoded by the N1 Abrahams, Melissa-Rose Hilda Kotwal, Girish J Medical Virology Includes bibliographical references. Vaccinia virus is the most extensively studied, prototype vertebrate poxvirus, which was used as a vaccine in the eradication of smallpox. The genome of this virus has characteristic variable termini encoding open reading frames that are not essential for virus replication in cell culture. One such open reading frame, N1L situated at the left terminal region of the neurovirulent Western Reserve (WR) vaccinia virus strain, encodes a protein 13.8 kDa in size. In vivo studies in mouse brains revealed that a recombinant virus, vGK5, tacking the expression of the 13.8 kDa protein was rendered replication deficient in the brain. An essential requirement of poxviruses for their replication is the energy molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The supply of this molecule in the brain to support replication of a virus is limited due to the high-energy requirements and small energy reserves of this organ. The specific function of the vaccinia virus 13.8 kDa protein in relation to viral replication in the brain was investigated. The South African (SA) Lister vaccinia virus strain was confirmed to encode an identical N1L gene to that of the WR vaccinia virus by amplification, cloning and sequencing of the Lister N1L open reading frame. The Lister vaccinia virus and a 13.8 kDa deletion strain (vGK5) were cultivated and used to intracranially infect mice. Using a luciferin/luciferase bioluminescence assay system the ATP levels in Lister and vGK5 vaccinia virus-infected mouse brains were measured and found to differ significantly after a 5-day infection period. The SA vaccine Lister vaccinia virus strain was found to be a slow growing virus in the brain. Subsequently, a possible role for the vaccinia virus 13.8 kDa protein in influencing ATP levels in the brain was postulated, yet a neurovirulent wild type strain is needed for further studies to consolidate this result. The 13.8 kDa protein was successfully expressed in the P. pastoris yeast expression system and positively identified by immunodetection studies. 2014-10-20T07:38:17Z 2014-10-20T07:38:17Z 2005 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8637 eng application/pdf Division of Virology Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Medical Virology Abrahams, Melissa-Rose Hilda An investigation into the specific function of the vaccinia virus 13.8 kDa protein encoded by the N1 |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | An investigation into the specific function of the vaccinia virus 13.8 kDa protein encoded by the N1 |
| title_full | An investigation into the specific function of the vaccinia virus 13.8 kDa protein encoded by the N1 |
| title_fullStr | An investigation into the specific function of the vaccinia virus 13.8 kDa protein encoded by the N1 |
| title_full_unstemmed | An investigation into the specific function of the vaccinia virus 13.8 kDa protein encoded by the N1 |
| title_short | An investigation into the specific function of the vaccinia virus 13.8 kDa protein encoded by the N1 |
| title_sort | investigation into the specific function of the vaccinia virus 13 8 kda protein encoded by the n1 |
| topic | Medical Virology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8637 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT abrahamsmelissarosehilda aninvestigationintothespecificfunctionofthevacciniavirus138kdaproteinencodedbythen1 AT abrahamsmelissarosehilda investigationintothespecificfunctionofthevacciniavirus138kdaproteinencodedbythen1 |