2006 Ohio Student Research Forum

Abstract

Human Herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) and Immune Dysregulation via dUTPase Enzyme
Daniel Duval
Ohio State University
Department of Chemical Engineering
Mentor: Dr. Marshall Williams

The human herpesvirus 4 or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encodes for deoxyuridine triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase), which has been shown to induce immune dysregulation. Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) also encodes for dUTPase. Since both EBV and HHV-8 are oncogenic gamma herpesviruses, it is my hypothesis that the HHV-8 dUTPase will induce immune dysregulation. There is no evidence as of now to suggest that HHV-8 dUTPase does or does not cause immune dysregulation. The goal of this work is to clone the HHV-8 structural gene encoding the dUTPase, to express this gene in Escherichia coli and to purify the HHV-8 encoded dUTPase.