Seminar

Host-virus interactions during hepatitis C virus infection in cell culture

Pablo Gastaminza, PhD

Our laboratory is interested in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate efficient HCV infection. Using cell culture infection models, we have identified several host factors that are required for different steps of HCV infection. These functional studies revealed novel proviral functions for cellular genes that regulate different aspects of cell homeostasis like stress responses or lipid metabolism and contribute to identify molecular events that underlie viral pathogenesis at the cellular level as well as to define potential host targets for antiviral therapy. These functional studies are complemented by ultrastructural studies using transmission electron tomography as well as soft X-ray cryotomography. Analysis of the virus-induced subcellular structure alterations reveals novel interactions between virus-colonized organelles, again providing new hypotheses that may contribute to explain how this important pathogen takes advantage of the cellular machinery to establish persistent infections.