Veterinary medicine
Department of infectious and parasitic diseases
Laboratory of Immunology - Vaccinology
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Prof. Laurent GILLET
Research
Gamma-herpesvirinae are important human and animal pathogens. Their biological cycle is similar to many other persistent pathogens. They first replicate extensively during primary infection of naïve hosts and establish latency in a dynamic pool of blood cells. During latency, they remain mainly silent. Then, reactivation from latency allows new formed virions to be shed from immunocompetent host and to infect new organisms where the cycle begins again. Immune evasion is essential to all the parts of their lifecycle. The difficulties of manipulating human gamma-herpesviruses make their animal counterparts important tools for deducing viral gene functions and their place in pathogenesis. We are studying Murid herpesvirus 4 (MuHV-4) and Bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) to define the molecular immune evasion mechanisms. We are mainly interested in evasion of neutralization, particularly on the role of glycans in that context; gammaherpesvirus entry; mechanisms of transmission. Ultimately, we want to block the epidemiological cycle of a gammaherpesvirus in an animal population.