Studies have shown that an innate immune response occurs during viral infection of mammalian cells when two protein components, TLR-3 and TRIF, bind together after recognition of foreign RNA inside a cell. The TLR-3/TRIF interaction was used to design a fluorescence-based two-hybrid system for rapidly detecting Flaviviral infections. A plasmid encoding TRIF was engineered to express half of a Venus (YFP) reporter, while TA cloning was used to confirm the clonability of the TLR-3 gene. Future experiments include cloning the TLR-3 gene into the Venus vector, and transfecting the fusion proteins into Vero cells. Upon addition of a sample containing viral RNA to this cell-line, the modified TLR-3 and TRIF proteins should dimerize, allowing the YFP to assemble, causing the cell to fluoresce.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Craig, Maura K.
• Burns, Erin Elizabeth

Contributors

• Rothman, Alan

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042810-164831

Advisor

• Adams, David S.

Year

• 2010

Sponsor

• University of Massachusetts Medical School

Date created

• 2010-04-28

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright