Plagemann, Peter G. W., Ph.D.

We are studying mechanisms by which viruses establish long-term persistent infections in their hosts, escaping all host immune defenses. Lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV) and simian hemorrhagic fever virus are used as models. They are related positive-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the Arteriviridae. We also are studying an interaction of LDV with endogenous murine leukemia virus in the etiology of a fatal paralytic disease in mice as well as the expression of endogenous retroviruses in the human central nervous system.

Plagemann, P.G.W., Z. Chen, and K. Li. (2001) Replication competition between lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus quasispecies in mice. Implications for quasispecies selection and evolution. Arch. Virol. 146:1283-1296.

Plagemann, P.G.W. (2001) Complexity of the single linear neutralization epitope of the mouse arterivirus lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus. Virology 290:11-20.

Plagemann, P.G.W., Q.A. Jones, and W.A. Cafruny. (2000) N-Glycans on the short ectodomain of the primary envelope glycoprotein play a major role in the polyclonal activation of B cells by lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus. J. Gen. Virol. 81:2167-2175.

Plagemann, P.G.W., Z. Chen, and K. Li. (1999) Polylactosaminoglycan chains on the ectodomain of the primary envelope glycoprotien of an arterivirus determine its neuropathogenicity, sensitivity to antibody neutralization and immunogenicity of the neutralization epitope. Curr. Top. Virol. 1:27-43.