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Scripps Research Joint Appointments

Department of Molecular Biology
Faculty, Kellogg School of Science and Technology

Research Focus

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Our research centers around the molecular and biological characterization of feline immunodeficiency virus, FIV. This virus is a lentivirus similar to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS in humans. FIV causes an AIDS-like disease in the domestic cat and thus provides a valuable small animal model for developing intervention therapies that may be employed to treat virus infections in both man and cat. Potential approaches include development of drug treatments through structure-based rational drug design as well as vaccine development using defined recombinant target antigens. Both approaches demand that we first understand the molecular structure of the virus as well as the virus life cycle. To this end, we have embarked on a series of projects to determine the molecular structure of certain viral enzymes as well as to define regulatory mechanisms that control FIV expression.

Education

B.S., Biological Education, Purdue University, 1971
M.S., Cell Physiology, Purdue University, 1973
Ph.D., Biochemistry, Purdue University, 1975

Professional Experience

Undergraduate Assistant, Dept. of Biology, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, 1970
Graduate Assistant, Dept. of Biology, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, 1971-1975
Research Fellow, Dept. of Immunopathology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, 1975-1977
Research Associate, Dept. of Cellular and Developmental Immunology, TSRI, 1977
Assistant Professor I, Dept. of Cellular and Developmental Immunology, TSRI, 1977-1978
Assistant Professor II, Dept. of Cellular and Developmental Immunology, TSRI, 1978-1982
Associate Professor, Tenured, Dept. of Molecular Biology,TSRI, 1982-1993
Professor, Dept. of Molecular Biology, TSRI, 1993-Present

Awards & Professional Activities

Reviewing Member, AIDS and Related Research Review Group 2, National Institutes of Health; Editorial Boards, Journal of Virology, Virology. Clinical and Celular Immunology

Selected References

169) Elder JH, Y.-C. Lin, E. Fink, and C.K. Grant (2010) Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) as A Model for Study off Lentivirus Infections: Parallels with HIV. Curr. HIV Research 28; 8: 73-80 PMCID: PMC2853889.

170) Lin YC, B.E. Torbett, JH Elder (2010) Generation of Infectious Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Encoding FIV/HIV Chimeric Protease. J. Virol. PMID: 20410281 PMCID: PMC2903298

171) Hong Y, E. Fink, Q.Y. Hu, W.B. Kiosses, JH Elder (2010) OrfA Down-regulates FIV Primary Receptor CD134 on Host Cell Surface and is Important in Viral Infection. J. Virol. PMID: 20463078. PMCID: PMC2898258

172) Hu QY, E. Fink, Y. Hong, C. Wang, CK Grant, JH Elder (2010) Fine definition of the CXCR4-binding region on the V3 loop of feline immunlodeficiency virus surface glycoprotein. PLoSONE 18,5(5):e10689. PMCID: PMC2872658

173) Chang MW, M.J. Giffin, R. Muller, J. Savage, Y.C. Lin, S. Hong, W. Jin, L.R. Whitby, J.H. Elder, D.L. Boger, B.E. Torbett (2010) Identification of broad-based HIV-1 protease inhibitors from combinatorial libraries. Biochem J. PMID: 20507280

Links

Elder Website