Title:Yeast as a genetic platform to explore plant virus–host interactions：from ‘omics’ to functional studies

Presenter: Professor Peter Nagy

University: University of Kentucky, USA

Time: 9:30-10:30, December 18, 2015

Venue: Room E301, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Abstract: The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an advanced model organism that has emerged as an effective host to gain insights into the intricate interactions of viruses with host cells. RNA viruses have limited coding poten-tial and need to coopt numerous host cellular factors to facilitate their replication. To identify the host factors subverted by viruses, high-throughput genomics and global proteomics approaches have been performed with tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV). Accordingly, several hundred susceptibility and restriction factors for TBSV have been identified using yeast as a model host. The roles of many yeast host factors involved in various steps of the viral replication process have been validated by exploiting the orthologous genes in plant hosts. I will present the advantages of using simple viruses and yeast model host to advance our general understanding of virus–host interactions.