Project

Alphaherpesvirus-induced downregulation of ligands for the activating NK cell receptor NKG2D

Code
01D11922
Duration
01 October 2022 → 31 October 2023
Funding
Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund
Research disciplines
  • Medical and health sciences
    • Innate immunity
    • Virology
  • Agricultural and food sciences
    • Veterinary immunology
    • Veterinary microbiology
Keywords
Herpesvirus pseudorabies virus UL13 kinase porcine NK cell NKG2D ligands
 
Project description

We recently discovered that the viral UL13 kinase of the porcine alphaherpesvirus PRV triggers downregulation of ligands for the activating NK cell receptor NKG2D, which complicates the antiviral activity of NK cells. Aim of the application is to (i) unravel the underlying mechanism, (ii) investigate
whether this effect is conserved in other (alpha)herpesviruses and (iii) identify novel porcine NKG2D ligands.