Chemical and Biological Engineering

Host Cellular Requirements for Viral Infection

Viral infection depends on a complex interplay between host and viral factors. We recently identified 57 Escherichia coli (E.coli) genes—over half of which have not been previously associated with infection—that when knocked out inhibited bacteriophage lambda phage's ability to replicate. Our results demonstrate a highly integrated network between lambda and its host. We then used high-resolution dynamic time course analysis and computational modeling to better understand these interactions and to characterize previously unannotated components.  One key result links host susceptibility to viral infection to a network encompassing sulfur metabolism, tRNA modification, competitive binding, and programmed ribosomal frameshifting. Based on the universality of many key components of this network, both in the host and the virus, we anticipate that these findings may have broad relevance to understanding other infections, including viral infection of humans.