Gregory S. Pari

Department: Microbiology & Immunology
Academic Unit:  School of Medicine
Title: Professor
Professional degrees (Degree, year, Institution): Ph.D. University of Nevada Reno, 1989

Contact Information

Mail Stop: 320
Phone: 775-784-4824
Fax:  775-327-2332
e-mail: gpari@medicine.nevada.edu

Research Area(s)

Virology/Cancer/Microbiology

Research Interests

My laboratory is working on the molecular mechanism of herpesvirus DNA replication.  We are currently working with two herpesviruses.  The first, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a large DNA virus with one known origin of DNA replication (oriLyt).  Our interest is in the initial events in viral DNA synthesis.  To this end, we are constructing mutant viruses in which a specific replication gene is deleted.  This new mutant virus is then used to infect human cells to observe how the virus replicates with an essential gene missing from the genome.
The second virus we work with is a recently discovered human herpesvirus, human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) also known as kaposi’s sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV).  This virus primarily infects B-cells where it is latent until stimulated to under go lytic replication in cell culture.  Our current focus is to elucidate the cis and trans acting factors required for lytic DNA replication.

Current Graduate Students

Cyprian Rossetto
Yang (Julie) Gao
Dominique Kagele
Ni Ketut

Other lab members:

Paige Mclean

Selected Publications

Colletti, K., Smallenburg, K. and G.S. Pari. 2007. Human Cytomegalovirus UL84 interacts with an RNA stemloop sequence found within the RNA/DNA hybrid region of oriLyt.  81:7077-7085. Journal of Virology.

Kato-Noah, T., Rossetto, C., Xu, Y., Colletti, K.,  Yamboliev, I., Papousková, I. and G.S. Pari. 2007. Over-Expression Of The Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Transactivator K-Rta can complement a K-bZIP deletion BACmid and yields an enhanced growth phenotype.  Journal of Virology. 81: 13519-13532.

Rossetto, C., Gao, Y., Yamboliev, I., Papousková, I., and G. S. Pari. 2007. Transcriptional repression of K-Rta by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus K-bZIP is not required for oriLyt-dependent DNA replication. 369:340-350. Virology.

Gao, Y., Colletti, K. and G. S. Pari. 2008.  Identification of Human Cytomegalovirus UL84 viral and cellular encoded binding partners using Proteomics Analysis. 82: 96-104.  Journal of Virology.

Sinigalia E, Alvisi G, Mercorelli B, Coen DM, Pari GS, Jans DA, Ripalti A, Palù G and A Loregian.  2008. Role of homodimerization of human cytomegalovirus DNA polymerase accessory protein UL44 in origin-dependent DNA replication in cells. 82(24):12574-9.  Journal of Virology