Molecular and Genetic Medicine

Francesca Ferrara

Publications

• Research Article
  The human Transmembrane Protease Serine 2 is necessary for the production of Group 2 influenza A virus pseudotypes
  Author(s): Francesca Ferrara, Eleonora Molesti, Eva Böttcher-Friebertshäuser, Giovanni Cattoli, Davide Corti, Simon D Scott and Nigel J TempertonFrancesca Ferrara, Eleonora Molesti, Eva Böttcher-Friebertshäuser, Giovanni Cattoli, Davide Corti, Simon D Scott and Nigel J Temperton
  
  The monomer of influenza haemagglutinin is synthesized as a single polypeptide precursor that during maturation is cleaved by proteases into two active subunits. Other studies have demonstrated that the human Transmembrane Protease Serine 2 (TMPRSS2) can cleave the HA of human seasonal influenza viruses. Consequently, we have investigated the use of human Transmembrane Protease Serine 2 to produce high titre influenza haemmagglutinin (HA) lentiviral pseudotypes from Group 2 influenza viruses. Such pseudotypes represent powerful and safe tools to study viral entry and immune responses. Influenza pseudotype particles are obtained by co- transfecting human embryonic kidney HEK293T/17 cells using plasmids coding for the influenza HA, HIV gag-pol and a lentiviral vector incorporating firefly luciferase. However, in order to produce Group 2 pseudotypes, it was necessary to co-transfect a pl.. Read More»
  DOI: 10.4172/1747-0862.1000055

  Abstract PDF