Interactions of Viral and Cellular Structures During Viral Infection and Development of Nanostructures for Medical and Veterinar

Interactions of Viral and Cellular Structures During Viral Infection and Development of Nanostructures for Medical and Veterinar

Doc. RNDr. Jitka Forstová, CSc.

Doc. RNDr. Jitka Forstová, CSc. — Project head

The Faculty of Science of the Charles University

About us

The Virology group project conducts basic research to understand the functional meanings of interactions between viral and cellular structures during viral infection, the mechanisms of stress-related and defensive reactions of cells, and the mechanisms of deregulation of cellular processes including oncogenic transformation.

Simultaneously, results of the research are reflected in the exploitation of artificial viral nanostructures for developing of vaccines, diagnostic kits and vehicles for transporting therapeutic compounds into cells.

Research has been focused on:

  • examining the transport of viral structures inside a cell, the mechanisms of transporting virus genomes into the cell nucleus and the roles of single structural viral components, cytoskeletal and endosomal cellular structures in this process
  • revealing the interations between of virus proteins with host cell partners
  • clarifying the mechanisms of innate cellular protection and antiviral defense

 

Apart from polyomavirus models (mouse polyomavirus, human BK virus), the subject of the study also includes other small DNA viruses (e. g., Hepatitis B virus, Circoviruses).

 

Application research has been performed in collaboration with:

  • Vidia spol s r. o. (A prototype of diagnostic kit for human JCV polyomavirus was prepared and a diagnostic kit for BKV polyomavirus subtypes is now under development)
  • Dyntec spol s r. o. (At present, veterinary prophylactic vaccines against porcine circovirus 2 and bovinne papillomavirus, based on recombinant polyomavirus nanostructures, are being developed).

 

Potential for Cooperation:

The virology team has worked closely with two companies and several foreign laboratories (e. g. Prof. Cheng, The University of California in Davis, USA) and is open for futher collaboration in both basic and applied research.

Publications

2020

Horníková, Lenka; Bruštíková, Kateřina; Forstová, Jitka: Microtubules in Polyomavirus Infection. Viruses 10.3390/v12010121

Horníková, Lenka; Bruštíková, Kateřina; Ryabchenko, Boris; Zhernov, Ilia; Fraiberk, Martin; Mariničová, Zuzana; Lánský, Zdeněk; Forstová, Jitka: The Major Capsid Protein, VP1, of the Mouse Polyomavirus Stimulates the Activity of Tubulin Acetyltransferase 1 by Microtubule Stabilization. Viruses 10.3390/v12020227

Váňová, Jana; Hejtmánková, Alžběta; Žáčková Suchanová, Jiřina; Sauerová, Pavla; Forstová, Jitka; Hubálek Kalbáčová, Marie; Španielová, Hana: Influence of cell-penetrating peptides on the activity and stability of virus-based nanoparticles. International Journal of Pharmaceutics 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.119008

Zackova Suchanova, Jirina; Hejtmankova, Alzbeta; Neburkova, Jitka; Cigler, Petr; Forstova, Jitka; Spanielova, Hana: The Protein Corona Does Not Influence Receptor-Mediated Targeting of Virus-like Particles. Bioconjugate Chemistry 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00240

2019

Hejtmánková, Alžběta; Roubalová, Kateřina; Forejtová, Alena; Žáčková Suchanová, Jiřina; Forstová, Jitka; Viklický, Ondřej; Španielová, Hana: Prevalence of antibodies against BKPyV subtype I and IV in kidney transplant recipients and in the general Czech population. Journal of Medical Virology 10.1002/jmv.25388 J Med Virol

2018

Neburkova, Jitka; Sedlak, Frantisek; Zackova Suchanova, Jirina; Kostka, Libor; Sacha, Pavel; Subr, Vladimir; Etrych, Tomas; Simon, Petr; Barinkova, Jitka; Krystufek, Robin; Spanielova, Hana; Forstova, Jitka; Konvalinka, Jan; Cigler, Petr: Inhibitor–GCPII Interaction: Selective and Robust System for Targeting Cancer Cells with Structurally Diverse Nanoparticles. Molecular Pharmaceutics 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.7b00889

Soldatova, Irina; Prilepskaja, Terezie; Abrahamyan, Levon; Forstová, Jitka; Huérfano, Sandra: Interaction of the Mouse Polyomavirus Capsid Proteins with Importins Is Required for Efficient Import of Viral DNA into the Cell Nucleus. Viruses 10.3390/v10040165

2017

Horníková, Lenka; Fraiberk, Martin; Man, Petr; Janovec, Václav; Forstová, Jitka: VP 1, the major capsid protein of the mouse polyomavirus, binds microtubules, promotes their acetylation and blocks the host cell cycle. The FEBS Journal 10.1111/febs.13977

Zackova Suchanova, Jirina; Neburkova, Jitka; Spanielova, Hana; Forstova, Jitka; Cigler, Petr: Retargeting Polyomavirus-Like Particles to Cancer Cells by Chemical Modification of Capsid Surface. Bioconjugate Chemistry 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00622

Huérfano, Sandra; Ryabchenko, Boris; Španielová, Hana; Forstová, Jitka Hydrophobic domains of mouse polyomavirus minor capsid proteins promote membrane association and virus exit from the ER. The FEBS Journal 10.1111/febs.14033

Fraiberk, Martin; Hájková, Michaela; Krulová, Magdaléna; Kojzarová, Martina; Drda Morávková, Alena; Pšikal, Ivan; Forstová, Jitka: Exploitation of stable nanostructures based on the mouse polyomavirus for development of a recombinant vaccine against porcine circovirus 2. PLOS ONE 10.1371/journal.pone.0184870

2015

Horníková, Lenka; Žíla, Vojtěch; Španielová, Hana; Forstová, Jitka: Mouse Polyomavirus: Propagation, Purification, Quantification, and Storage Current Protocols in Microbiology. 10.1002/9780471729259.mc14f01s38

2014

Zila, Vojtech; Difato, Francesco; Klimova, Lucie; Huerfano, Sandra; Forstova, Jitka: Involvement of Microtubular Network and Its Motors in Productive Endocytic Trafficking of Mouse Polyomavirus. PLoS ONE 10.1371/journal.pone.0096922

Šroller, Vojtěch; Hamšíková, Eva; Ludvíková, Viera; Vochozková, Petra; Kojzarová, Martina; Fraiberk, Martin; Saláková, Martina; Morávková, Alena; Forstová, Jitka; Němečková, Šárka: Seroprevalence rates of BKV, JCV, and MCPyV polyomaviruses in the general Czech Republic population: Seroprevalence of BKV, JCV, and MCPyV. Journal of Medical Virology 10.1002/jmv.23841

Španielová, Hana; Fraiberk, Martin; Suchanová, Jiřina; Soukup, Jakub; Forstová, Jitka: The encapsidation of polyomavirus is not defined by a sequence-specific encapsidation signal. Virology 10.1016/j.virol.2013.12.010

Henke, Petr; Kozak, Halyna; Artemenko, Anna; Kubát, Pavel; Forstová, Jitka; Mosinger, Jiří Superhydrophilic Polystyrene Nanofiber Materials Generating O21Δg: Postprocessing Surface Modifications toward Efficient Antibacterial Effect. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 10.1021/am502917w

Bilkova, Eva; Forstova, Jitka; Abrahamyan, Levon: Coat as a Dagger: The Use of Capsid Proteins to Perforate Membranes during Non-Enveloped DNA Viruses Trafficking. Viruses 10.3390/v6072899

2013

Huerfano, Sandra; Ryabchenko, Boris; Forstová, Jitka: Nucleofection of Expression Vectors Induces a Robust Interferon Response and Inhibition of Cell Proliferation. DNA and Cell Biology 10.1089/dna.2012.1950

Hron, Tomáš; Španielová, Hana; Suchanová, Jiřina; Forstová, Jitka: The Cre/loxP recombination system for production of infectious mouse polyomavirus. Virus Research 10.1016/j.virusres.2013.05.016

2012

Lhotáková, Yveta; Plíštil, Lukáš; Morávková, Alena; Kubát, Pavel; Lang, Kamil; Forstová, Jitka; Mosinger, Jiří: Virucidal Nanofiber Textiles Based on Photosensitized Production of Singlet Oxygen. PLoS ONE 10.1371/journal.pone.0049226

2011

Zhou, A. Y.; Ichaso, N.; Adamarek, A.; Zila, V.; Forstova, J.; Dibb, N. J.; Dilworth, S. M.: Polyomavirus Middle T-Antigen Is a Transmembrane Protein That Binds Signaling Proteins in Discrete Subcellular Membrane Sites. Journal of Virology 10.1128/JVI.02209-10

Horníková, Lenka; Man, Petr; Forstová, Jitka: Blue native protein electrophoresis for studies of mouse polyomavirus morphogenesis and interactions between the major capsid protein VP1 and cellular proteins. Journal of Virological Methods 10.1016/j.jviromet.2011.08.019

2010

Huerfano, Sandra; Žíla, Vojtěch; Bouřa, Evžen; Španielová, Hana; Štokrová, Jitka; Forstová, Jitka: Minor capsid proteins of mouse polyomavirus are inducers of apoptosis when produced individually but are only moderate contributors to cell death during the late phase of viral infection: MPyV minor proteins: inducers of cytotoxicity. FEBS Journal 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2010.07558.x