EBNA3C Targeting of the Alpha Integrin Promoter :The Potential Molecular Link Between EBV and Metastisis

Tathagata Choudhuri, PhD

My research will determine what effect Nm-23, a metastatic repressor protein, has on the alpha-integrin promoter in the absence or presence of EBNA3C, an EBV latency protein required for B-cell transformation. Integrins are transmembrane proteins that connect the cell to the extracellular matrix, and are involved in cell-cell contact and attachment, and cell survival signaling mechanisms i.e., modulation of apoptosis. Perhaps most important concerning Epstein Barr virus, is the putative pathways involved in integrin-associated cell motility processes. This research will therefore uncover the possible role of EBV exploitation of alpha-integrin expression in order to understand more fully the metastatic propensities of transforming B-cell virions.