.:Center for Hepatitis Research: .

MINGKYUNG YI, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Microbiology & Immunology
Scientist, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development,
Institute for Human Infections and Immunity
Molecular mechanism of Hepatitis C replication

Phone: (409) 747.6866 | Fax: (409) 772.7030 | E-mail: miyi@utmb.edu

“Our main research interest is to establish fully permissive in vitro tissue culture systems of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and determine the molecular mechanisms of viral replication. As the first step, we developed a unique replicon system that enables us to detect viral RNA replication from the cell culture supernatants (Virology 304: 197-210, 2002). This system leads us to develop highly adapted HCV genomic RNAs that replicate at high levels in tissue culture. Recently, we accomplish our prime goal of producing infectious HCV from cultured cells. However, the system is still sub-optimal. We are currently involved in advancing this system.”

RESEARCH INTERESTS

The development of cell culture systems for hepatitis C virus in an effort to investigate the mechanism of replication of this virus. And also research project that aims to elucidate the potential of novel antiviral agents to treat HCV infection.

PUBLICATIONS

S.M. Lemon, MinKyung Yi and K. Li. Strong Reasons Makes Strong Actions-The Antiviral Efficiency of NS3/4A Protease Inhibitors. Hepatology, 41: 671-674, 2005.
Bourne N, Pyles RB, MinKyung Yi, Veselenak RL, Davis MM, Lemon SM. Screening for Hepatitis C Virus Antiviral Activity with a Cell-Based Secreted Alkaline Phosphatase Reporter Replicon System. Antiviral Research, 67(2): 76-82, 2005.
Zhaohui Cai, MinKyung Yi, Chen Zhang and Guangxiang Luo. Mutagenesis Analysis of the rGTP-Specific Binding Site of Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase. Journal of Virology, 79: 11607-11617, 2005.
C. L. Jopling, MinKyung Yi, A. M. Lancaster, S. M. Lemon and Peter Sarnow. Modulation of Hepatitis C Virus RNA Abundance by a Liver-Specific MicroRNA. Science, 309: 1577-1581, 2005.
MinKyung Yi, Tong X, Skelton A, Chase R, Chen T, Prongay A, Bogen SL, Saksena AK, Njoroge FG, Veselenak RL, Pyles RB, Bourne N, Malcolm BA, Lemon SM. Mutations Conferring Resistance to SCH6, a Novel Hepatitis C Virus NS3/4A Protease Inhibitor: Reduced RNA Replication Fitness and Partial Rescue by Second-Site Mutations. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 281: 8205-8215, 2006.
MinKyung Yi, Rodrigo A. Villanueva, David Thomas, Takaji Wakita and Stanley M. Lemon. Production of Infectious Genotype 1a Hepatitis C Virus (Hutchinson strain) in Cultured Human Hepatoma Cells. PNAS, 103: 2310-2315, 2006.

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