Turk Rhen, Ph.D., Professor (Not hosting REU participants Summer 2023)
Project: Mutational analysis of the nuclear localization signal on SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
Mentor: Masfique Mehedi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Location: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine & Health Sciences
Description: Description: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. It has been shown that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein plays a significant role in virus-induced severe diseases. We previously demonstrated that the spike protein translocates into the infected cell’s nucleus due to a novel, functional nuclear localization signaling (NLS) motif. The spike also aids in translocating spike mRNA into the nucleus. This project aims to characterize the NLS for its contributions to different subcellular localization of Spike protein. We will use a site-directed mutagenesis strategy to modify the NLS on spike protein sequence and evaluate the mutated protein expression in the human lung epithelial cells. We will determine whether changing NLS reduces spike nuclear translocation, spike-induced syncytia formation, and spike-driven mRNA nuclear translocation. Overall, we will elucidate the mechanism of the spike’s nuclear translocation and identify novel therapeutic targets against SARS-CoV-2.
