Talk Title: Vaccinia virus, proteomics, structural proteomics, spatial proteomics
Abstract: Vaccinia is a large animal/human virus with a relatively large, dsDNA linear genome encoding 200 genes. Vaccinia has been perhaps the world’s most successful vaccine, leading to the only clear human disease eradication to date (smallpox). Within the poxvirus family, Vaccinia is a member of the orthopoxvirus genus which includes Monkeypox. Poxviruses are unusual in not only their relatively large size, but also their cytoplasmic site of replication and the relatively high complexity of the virion (with the packaging of ~75 distinct gene products). Perhaps the two most substantive knowledge gaps in our understanding of poxvirus replication are the molecular architecture of the virion and of the morphogenesis factory used for nascent virus assembly. Despite the Vaccinia virion being one of the earliest biological subjects for electron microscopy, understanding of its ultrastructure and molecular architecture has progressed little during the past 70 years: Being enveloped and polymorphic, the virion is refractory to both crystallization and cryoEM. We have taken a protein-protein crosslinking mass spectrometry (XLMS) approach to further understand protein interaction networks within the virion, and have combined this with deep learning approaches to predict intravirion protein networks in three dimensions then filter the resulting models according to both prediction statistics and XLMS data. We have also, for the first time, biochemically isolated and purified the Vaccinia morphogenesis factory via a combination of affinity purification and fluorescence-activated sorting, and its proteomic characterization is ongoing. In separate work with FFPE biopsy material, it has become apparent that in situ (on slide) sample preparation for protein mass spectrometry can produce high statistical reproducibility in protein quantitation, and this procedure is being microscaled. Recently installed in the lab is the most advanced (currently) mass spectrometer on campus for protein and peptide work. It will be capable of single cell proteomics
Date: Tuesday, April 21st 2026
Time: 10:00 AM
Note: Virtual attendance option is available upon special request. Email CNCM@uci.edu for all requests.
