> *Dissertation Defense Announcement
> To:  The George Mason University Community*
>
> *Candidate: Subashini R. Iyer
> Program:    PhD Biosciences
> *
> *Date:   Wednesday September 21, 2011
> Time:   1:30 p.m. 
> Place:  George Mason University
> ** 	     Occoquan Bldg., Room 110-A
> 	     Prince William campus <http://www.gmu.edu/resources/visitors/findex.html>
>   
> *Dissertation Chair: Dr. Yuntao Wu
> Committee members: Dr. Geraldine Grant, Dr. Karl Fryxell, Dr. Patrick Gillevet
> *
> Title: **"Role of HIV-1 Preintegration Transcription in the Viral Life Cycle"*
>
> *
> *The dissertation is on reserve in the Johnson Center Library, Fairfax campus.
> The doctoral project will not be read at the meeting, but should be read in advance. 
> /**/
> *All members of the George Mason University community are invited to attend.*
>
>
> *ABSTRACT: *
>   
>
> Preintegration transcription is an early process in HIV life-cycle. 
> However, mechanistically, this process is poorly studied and 
> understood. As such, the relationship between preintegration 
> transcription and the subsequent steps of HIV replication cycle is 
> unknown. My Ph.D thesis research addressees the source of 
> preintegration transcription and the impact of this process on viral 
> integration. Data from my research demonstrates that the unintegrated 
> linear DNA, which is the precursor for viral integration, may 
> constitute the major template for preintegration transcription. This 
> result excludes a role of the minor DNA species, such as the 
> 2-LTR-circles, as the likely template for preintegration 
> transcription. This result also suggests a possible connection between 
> viral preintegration transcription and subsequent DNA integration into 
> the human genome, since both viral processes could involve the same 
> DNA molecule. Indeed, further studies indicated a possible involvement 
> of preintegration transcription in determining the pattern and site of 
> HIV integration. My research thus paves the way for future 
> investigation of the mechanistic linkage between HIV preintegration 
> transcription and integration. 
>
> ###