# Antiviral role of Condensin II

> **NIH NIH R21** · CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU · 2021 · $241,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY – LONGWORTH, MICHELLE S./ O’CONNOR, CHRISTINE M.
Invading pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, rapidly alter cellular
homeostasis. Cellular homeostasis is maintained by both epigenetics and higher
order chromatin organization, and the condensin II complex plays essential roles
in regulating these processes. However, our understanding of condensin II’s
contribution to host cell DNA organization during infection is minimal. Human
cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus, prevalent in >70% of the US
population. Immune compromised individuals are at heightened risk for
complications from HCMV infection, for which there is currently no cure or vaccine.
Thus, there is a clear, unmet need for development of novel therapeutic strategies,
necessitating a better understanding of the host-pathogen relationship. Our
preliminary data show that HCMV infection upregulates the condensin II protein
NCAPD3, and that NCAPD3 restricts viral replication, although the underlying
mechanisms remain unknown. The overall objective of this proposal is to
determine the impact of HCMV infection on NCAPD3/condensin II-mediated
chromatin organization and gene transcription. Our central hypothesis is that
NCAPD3/condensin II restricts HCMV lytic replication through its ability to regulate
chromatin accessibility. We propose to test this hypothesis through the following
aims: AIM1. Determine the effects of NCAPD3 expression on HCMV lytic infection.
AIM2. Identify NCAPD3-mediated changes to gene expression and chromatin
accessibility in response to HCMV infection. The expected outcomes of our
proposal include defining how CAP-D3 combats HCMV infection through
chromosomal regulation, while revealing the means by which this novel antiviral
factor is regulated during infection. Impact: Results will provide a comprehensive
understanding of host cell dynamics in response to viral infection and lay the
foundation for future development of novel therapeutics to combat HCMV infection
and disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10216061
- **Project number:** 1R21AI153780-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU
- **Principal Investigator:** Michelle S Longworth
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $241,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-03-04 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10216061

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10216061, Antiviral role of Condensin II (1R21AI153780-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10216061. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*