B15 Schütz: Conformational switches in viral regulatory proteins

The protein HBx is essential for the replication of Hepatitis B virus as it enables the transcription of the viral DNA. The structure of HBx is unknown. Posttranslational modifications, metal binding and conformational switches further modulate its fold in solution. We will elucidate structure and dynamics of HBx via integration of NMR with biophysical methods, in particular SAXS, FRET and molecular dynamics simulations. Furthermore, we will analyse the interaction of HBx with its human target proteins in infected hepatocytes.