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 | Biography |  |
Research interests include virus capture of host genes for immune subversion and strain variation effects on disease. Dr. Davis-Poynter has over 15 years research experience, principally involving herpesviruses. He was recruited to the Clinical Medical Virology Centre in 2006 to establish the Herpesvirus Molecular Pathogenesis Research Unit (HMPU). The long term vision of the HMP Unit is to apply fundamental knowledge concerning herpesvirus molecular biology, in particular mechanisms of host immune system evasion or subversion, to the development of improved therapies. The Unit will utilise a natural herpesvirus/host system, murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection of mice, as a model to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenesis which are evolutionarily conserved with human herpesviruses, such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Current research is focussed on a class of herpesvirus proteins related to cell-surface receptors (G protein-coupled receptors). Such proteins are found in many herpesviruses and have been found to be important for virus replication and disease in animals.
Dr. Davis-Poynter was previously engaged in equine infectious disease research at the Animal Health Trust, U.K. Specific research projects included determination of the impact of strain variation upon disease potential of equine herpesvirus-1, vaccine development for equine herpesvirus, equine influenza virus and equine arteritis virus and antigenic variation of equine influenza virus.
Selected publications:
Original research articles
Herpesvirus G protein-coupled receptor homologues
49 Cardin RD, Schaefer GC, Allen JR, Davis-Poynter NJ & Farrell HE. (2009) The M33 chemokine receptor homolog of murine cytomegalovirus exhibits a differential tissue-specific role during in vivo replication and latency. J. Virol. 83: 7590-7601
47 Sharp EL, Davis-Poynter NJ & Farrell HE (2009) Analysis of the subcellular trafficking properties of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) M78, a 7 transmembrane receptor homologue. J. Gen. Virol.90: 59-68
44 Case R, Sharp E, Benned-Jensen T, Rosenkilde MM, Davis-Poynter N, Farrell HE. (2008) Functional analysis of the murine cytomegalovirus chemokine receptor homologue M33: ablation of constitutive signaling is associated with an attenuated phenotype in vivo. J Virol;82:1884-98
42 Sharp EL, Farrell HE, Borchers K, Holmes EC, Davis-Poynter NJ. (2007) Sequence analysis of the equid herpesvirus 2 chemokine receptor homologues E1, ORF74 and E6 demonstrates high sequence divergence between field isolates.. J Gen Virol;88:2450-62.
Equine herpesvirus strain variation and pathogenicity
43 Goodman LB, Loregian A, Perkins GA, Nugent J, Buckles EL, Mercorelli B, Kydd JH, Palu G, Smith KC, Osterrieder N, Davis-Poynter N. (2007) A Point Mutation in a Herpesvirus Polymerase Determines Neuropathogenicity. PLoS Pathog;3:e160.
34 Nugent J, Birch-Machin I, Smith KC, Mumford JA, Swann Z, Newton JR, Bowden RJ, Allen GP, Davis-Poynter N. (2006). Analysis of equid herpesvirus 1 strain variation reveals a point mutation of the DNA polymerase strongly associated with neuropathogenic versus nonneuropathogenic disease outbreaks. J. Virol. 80:4047-4060.
Invited reviews
48 Lunn DP, Davis-Poynter N, Flaminio MJBF, Horohov DW, Osterrieder K, Pusterla N & Townsend HGG (2009) Equine herpesvirus-1 consensus statement. J. Vet. Internal Medicine 23: 450-461.
19 Farrell, H, Degli-Esposti, MA and Davis-Poynter, NJ (1999). Cytomegalovirus evasion of natural killer cell responses. Immunological Reviews 168 187-197.
9 Davis-Poynter, N. and Farrell, H. (1996). Masters of deception: a review of herpesvirus immune evasion strategies. Immunology and Cell Biology 74:513-522.
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