Jae U. Jung , Ph.D.

Research Interests

Virus-induced cancer
This field is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of lymphoproliferative diseases induced by the gamma-2 herpesviruses and on developing animal models for human diseases. The gamma 2 herpesviruses include murine herpesvirus 68 (MHV68), herpesvirus saimiri (HVS), and Kaposi?s sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV, also called human herpesvirus 8). KSHV is consistently associated with Kaposi?s sarcoma, which is a multifocal vascular tumor of mixed cellular composition and is the most common tumor in patients with AIDS. Infection of New World primates with HVS results in rapidly progressing malignant T cell lymphomas. Finally, MHV68 provides a small animal model to study viral persistent infection. A striking feature of these gamma-2 herpesviruses is that they contain a number of cellular homologs that could possibly contribute to the progression of disease associated with the virus. Biochemical and immunological analyses of individual viral genes in cell culture and experimental infection of recombinant herpesviruses in animals are used to define their role in the onset of disease. Virus-host interaction is also studied to understand viral immune evasion strategies in the establishment of life-long infection.

Cell death: apoptosis and autophagy
Upon viral infection, infected cells can become the target of host immune responses or it can go through a programmed cell death (PCD). Apoptosis has been a primary PCD mechanism to respond viral infection by participating in its own death. Autophagy (Greek,

Host and virus controls of interferon-mediated antiviral activity
Upon viral infection, the major defense mounted by the host immune system is activation of the interferon (IFN)-mediated anti-viral pathway. In order to complete their life cycle, viruses that are obligatory intracellular parasites must modulate host IFN-mediated immune response. We are studying IFN-signal transduction at both host and viral sides: host side has cytoplasmic IFN signaling molecules including RIG-I, TRIM, and IRFs and viral side has anti-IFN viral proteins including KSHV vIRFs, vaccinia E3L, influenza NS1, and hepatitis C virus NS3/4A.

Embryonic stem cell study for viral replication
In collaboration with USC Broad Institute for Integrative Biology and Stem Cell Research, we have two specific topics: (1) use ES cell technology to generate the permissive cell lines for human tumor virus replication and (2) viral reactivation during somatic cell nuclear transfer and embryonic stem cell fusion.

Degrees

Univeristy of California-Davis, Ph D, 1989
Seoul National University, Korea, MS, 1984
Seoul National University, Korea, BS, 1982

PUBLICATIONS

Gack MU, Kirchhofer A, Shin YC, Inn KS, Liang C, Cui S, Myong S, Ha T, Hopfner KP, Jung JU. Roles of RIG-I N-terminal tandem CARD and splice variant in TRIM25-mediated antiviral signal transduction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Oct 28;105(43):16743-8. Epub 2008 Oct 23.

Liang C, Lee JS, Jung JU. Immune evasion in KSHV-associated oncogenesis. Semin Cancer Biol. 2008 Oct 2. [Epub ahead of print]

Sir D, Liang C, Chen WL, Jung JU, Ou JH. Perturbation of autophagic pathway by hepatitis C virus. Autophagy. 2008 Aug 16;4(6):830-1. Epub 2008 Jul 8.

Liang C, Sir D, Lee S, Ou JH, Jung JU. Beyond autophagy: the role of UVRAG in membrane trafficking. Autophagy. 2008 Aug 16;4(6):817-20. Epub 2008 Jun 25.

Liang C, Lee JS, Inn KS, Gack MU, Li Q, Roberts EA, Vergne I, Deretic V, Feng P, Akazawa C, Jung JU. Beclin1-binding UVRAG targets the class C Vps complex to coordinate autophagosome maturation and endocytic trafficking. Nat Cell Biol. 2008 Jul;10(7):776-87.