[log in to unmask]" type="cite">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
  
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. 

###