Research areas
Major outbreaks of childhood infections by pathogens such as the mumps and measles viruses continue to cause significant illness in young children despite the availability of effective vaccines. Additionally, infections with viruses for which there is no vaccine – such as parainfluenza viruses - lead to significant numbers of children needing intensive care treatment in hospital. Collectively, these viruses are known as paramyxoviruses, and includes viruses that infect and cause disease in humans and other animals. In addition to being clinically relevant pathogens, they serve as exceptional models in the laboratory for studying how we and other animals respond to viral infections – knowledge that has the potential to be translated into effective treatments.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, the objective of our research is to gain a deeper understanding of virus-host interactions, particularly how we respond to infections (innate immunity and the interferon response) and how viruses have evloved to counter these responses.
A major focus of the lab is to gain insights into the importance of posttranlational modifications such as ubiquitin-like (Ubl) proteins (such as ubiquitin, NEDD8, ISG15 & SUMO) during viral infection. As obligate intracellular pathogens, viruses are capable of rewiring cellular networks, and many have been shown to utilise these modification for their own benefit, or to antagonise their effects during the antiviral response. Therefore, a deeper understanding of their importance during viral infection may lead to the development of novel antiviral compounds. Indeed, we have recently shown NEDDylation is a viable target for the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) malignancies, such as primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). We study a number of viruses, including herpesviruses and paramyxoviruses.
PhD supervision
- Sujith Surendranath
Selected publications
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Open access
Persistent paramyxovirus infections: in co-infections the parainfluenza virus type 5 persistent phenotype is dominant over the lytic phenotype
Randall, R. E., Young, D. F., Hughes, D. J. & Goodbourn, S., 14 Nov 2023, In: Journal of General Virology. 104, 11, 13 p., 001916.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Modelling the within-host spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the subsequent immune response, using a hybrid, multiscale, individual-based model. Part I: Macrophages
Rowlatt, C. F., Chaplain, M. A. J., Hughes, D. J., Gillespie, S. H., Dockrell, D., johannessen, I. & Bowness, R., 6 May 2022, bioRxiv.Research output: Working paper › Preprint
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A co-opted ISG15-USP18 binding mechanism normally reserved for deISGylation controls type I IFN signalling
Vasou, A., Nightingale, K., Cetkovska, V., Bamford, C., Andrejeva, J., Randall, R. E., McLauchlan, J., Weekes, M. & Hughes, D. J., 3 Jun 2021, In: biorxiv.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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Open access
Discovering antiviral restriction factors and pathways using genetic screens
Jones, C. E., Tan, W. S., Grey, F. & Hughes, D. J., 21 May 2021, In: Journal of General Virology. 102, 5, 15 p., 0001603.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Open access
Does the zinc finger antiviral protein (ZAP) shape the evolution of herpesvirus genomes?
Lin, Y-T., Chau, L-F., Coutts, H., Mahmoudi, M., Drampa, V., Lee, C-H., Brown, A., Hughes, D. J. & Grey, F., 17 Sept 2021, In: Viruses. 13, 9, 15 p., e1857.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Kv1.3 induced hyperpolarisation and Cav3.2-mediated calcium entry are required for efficient Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus lytic replication
Carden, H., Dallas, M., Hughes, D. J., Lippiat, J., Mankouri, J. & Whitehouse, A., 10 Sept 2021, (biorxiv).Research output: Working paper › Preprint
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Open access
Direct antiviral activity of interferon stimulated genes is responsible for resistance to paramyxoviruses in ISG15-deficient cells
Holthaus, D., Vasou, A., Bamford, C., Andrejeva, J., Paulus, C., Randall, R. E., McLauchlan, J. & Hughes, D. J., 22 Jun 2020, (E-pub ahead of print) In: The Journal of Immunology. 11 p., ji1901472.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Innate intracellular antiviral responses restrict the amplification of defective virus genomes of parainfluenza virus type 5
Wignall-Fleming, E. B., Vasou, A., Young, D., Short, J. A. L., Hughes, D. J., Goodbourn, S. & Randall, R. E., 16 Jun 2020, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Virology. 94, 13, 15 p., 00246-20.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
The BHLF1 locus of Epstein-Barr virus contributes to viral latency and B-cell immortalization
Yetming, K. D., Lupey-Green, L. N., Biryukov, S., Hughes, D. J., Marendy, E. M., Miranda, J. J. L. & Sample, J. T., 24 Jun 2020, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Virology. Latest Articles, JVI01215-20.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Analysis of paramyxovirus transcription and replication by high-throughput sequencing
Wignall-Fleming, E. B., Hughes, D. J., Vattipally, S., Modha, S., Goodbourn, S., Davison, A. J. & Randall, R. E., 13 Aug 2019, In: Journal of Virology. 93, 17, 17 p., e00571-19.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review