Nathan M. Sherer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Molecular Virology and
Oncology
B.A., 1997, Biology, Grinnell College
Ph.D., 2006, Microbiology, Yale University
Postdoctoral research: King's College London
Office: 501A Bock Laboratories
Telephone: Office - (608) 890-2551; Lab
- (608) 890-2561
Email: nsherer@wisc.edu
Research Interests: HIV-1 assembly and spread; host-pathogen interactions; retroviral gene regulation; virus trafficking; cell-cell communication; live cell imaging
Research Description: Retroviruses cause a variety of cancers and immunodeficiencies throughout the animal kingdom. Our group is interested in the cell biology underlying the assembly and spread of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the etiological agent causing the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), as well as oncoretroviruses such as the murine leukaemia virus (MLV). Like all viruses, retroviruses have evolved to hijack specific features of their cellular hosts in ways that favor efficient viral replication. Understanding virus-host interactions can inform the development of novel antiviral strategies, and, in general, retroviruses provide great tools for probing questions of cellular function and immunity.
Recent advances in live cell imaging allow us to monitor specific stages of the viral life cycle in striking detail. We are combining time-lapse fluorescence microscopy with genetic and biochemical approaches to study how viral particles are assembled and transmitted from cell to cell. A current focus is on the post-transcriptional journey of HIV-1 genomic RNAs (gRNAs) from the nucleus to sites of virus assembly at the plasma membrane. gRNAs function both as messenger RNAs encoding the viral Gag structural protein as well as the genetic substrate bound and packaged by Gag into assembling virions. Therefore, gRNAs provide for an excellent system with which to study both the virus assembly pathway as well as the cellular machineries that regulate RNA transport and gene expression.
Selected recent publications
Sherer, N. M., Swanson, C. M., Hué, S., Roberts, R. G., Bergeron, J. R. C., and Malim, M. H. Evolution of a Species-Specific Determinant within Human CRM1 That Regulates the Post-Transcriptional Phases of HIV-1 Replication. PLoS Pathog., 7(11):e1002395, 2011.
Jin, J., Sherer, N., and Mothes, W. Surface Transmission or Polarized Egress? Lessons Learned from HTLV Cell-to-Cell Transmission. Viruses, 2: 601-605, 2010.
Mothes, W, Sherer, N. M., Jin, J., and Zhong, P. Virus Cell-to-Cell Transmission. J. Virol., 84: 8360-8368, 2010.
Sherer, N. M., Jin, J., and Mothes, W. Directional Spread of Surface-Associated Retroviruses Regulated by Differential Virus-Cell Interactions. J. Virol., 84: 3248-3258, 2010.
Swanson, C. M., Sherer, N. M., and Malim, M. H. SRp40 and SRp55 Promote the Translation of Unspliced Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 RNA. J. Virol., 84: 6748-6759, 2010.
Jin, J., Sherer, N. M., Heidecker, G., Derse, D., and Mothes, W. Assembly of the Murine Leukemia Virus Is Directed Towards Sites of Cell-Cell Contact. PLoS Biol., 7(7):e1000163, 2009.
Sherer, N. M., Swanson, C. M., Papaioannou, S., and Malim, M. H. Matrix Mediates the Functional Link between Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 RNA Nuclear Export Elements and the Assembly Competency of Gag in Murine Cells. J. Virol., 83: 8525-8535, 2009.
Chan, W.-T., Sherer, N. M., Uchil, P. D., Novak, E. K., Swank, R. T., and Mothes, W. Murine Leukemia Virus Spreading in Mice Impaired in the Biogenesis of Secretory Lysosomes and Ca2+-Regulated Exocytosis. PLoS ONE, 3(7):e2713, 2008.
Sherer, N. M., and Mothes, W. Cytonemes and Tunneling Nanotubules in Cell-Cell Communication and Viral Pathogenesis. Trends Cell Biol., 18: 414-420, 2008.
Sherer, N. M., Lehmann, M. J., Jimenez-Soto, L. F., Horensavitz, C., Pypaert, M., and Mothes, W. Retroviruses Can Establish Filopodial Bridges for Efficient Cell-to-Cell Transmission. Nat. Cell Biol., 9: 310-315, 2007.