Current research concentrates on the identification of host proteins
that interact with the mastrevirus early gene products, Rep and RepA. These
proteins are important for replication of the virus and for activation
of viral late gene and host gene expression. This latter function is necessary
to produce an environment suitable for viral DNA replication. Iinteracting
proteins have been identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen of a maize embryo
cDNA library and verification of the interactions in vivo and their
importance in the mastrevirus life cycle are currently under investigation
using molecular, biochemical and proteomics approaches. These studies are
facilitated by our ability to transform a wide range of cereals and model
hosts such as tobacco and Arabidopsis.
Various aspects of these studies are in collaboration with Dr Robert
Sablowski and Dr John Doonan, Dept. Cell and Developmental Biology and
Dr John Stanley, Dept. Disease and Stress Biology.
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David checks on the progress of transgenic maize growing in our containment glasshouse |