CRC 535, Project B04: Cytopathogenicity of Pestiviruses

The pathogenic agents that have been studied include viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminths. These agents take advantage of a variety of mechanisms to achieve a common goal, namely to infect an organism. Cooperative efforts between the various branches of medical microbiology using molecular-biological and biochemical techniques shall shed light on the similarities and differences of these mechanisms. The principle topics are identification of cellular receptors and their ligands, as well as analysis of pathogen-specific gene expression and genome replication within the host organism. Comprehensive knowledge of the structure and biology of the pathogens will serve as a foundation for new concepts in diagnosis, therapy and prevention of infectious diseases. The pathogenic agents of the following important diseases of humans and animals serve as model systems: viral hepatitis B, hemorrhagic fever (Ebola Virus), sleeping sickness, filariosis and other worm infections, bacterial diarrhea of humans and animals (EHEC), classical swine fever and bovine viral diarrhea, listeriosis, Borna Disease.