Prof. Dr. Armin Ensser
Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Lehrstuhl für Klinische Virologie

Prof. Chengyu Liang
University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Keck School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

Autophagy is an important and extending focus in contemporary virus research. The project combines the Erlangen expertise in Betaherpesvirus biology with Prof. Li-ang’s know-how in cell biology and autophagy. In Erlangen, viral genes interacting with key proteins of autophagy pathways are identified by Yeast two hybrid genetic screens, and corresponding recombinant viruses are made. These genes and the re-combinant murine CMV viruses are then analyzed in Prof. Liang’s laboratory at USC, using their state-of-the-art autophagy assays and murine models deficient in auto-phagy genes. The cooperation will enhance the understanding of CMV pathogenesis and shall ultimately lead to new approaches in the therapy of Cytomegalovirus, a ma-jor cause of disease in immune compromised patients.