Yonghui Zheng
Professor
Research Interests
- Our laboratory studies class I fusion proteins to understand how they are attacked by host factors during expression in the secretory pathway. Class I fusion proteins are expressed from HIV-1, influenza virus, Ebola virus, and SARS-COV-2 to mediate virus entry and initiate infection. Although these viruses belong to different families, their fusion proteins share identical features in structure and biosynthesis. Currently, we have three major projects to elucidate:
- 1. How the calnexin cycle and class I α-mannosidases target these viral fusion proteins to ER-to-lysosome-associated degradation (ERLAD) via Macro-ER-phagy and Micro-ER-phagy.
- 2. How MARCHF E3 ubiquitin ligases inhibit their maturation in the Golgi by blocking glycosylation and furin-cleavage.
- 3. How SERINC5 inhibits their fusogenic activity on the plasma membrane and how SERINC5 is counteracted by HIV-1 Nef, MLV glycoGag, and EIAV S2.
- Given the key role of class I fusion proteins in infection, our studies may lead to development of novel antivirals that broadly target highly pathogenic human viruses.
At a Glance
- Title Professor
- College College of Medicine at Chicago - Basic Sciences
- Department Department of Microbiology and Immunology
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