Vincent Racaniello

Vincent R. Racaniello (born January 2 1953 in Paterson, New Jersey) is Higgins Professor in the Department of Microbiology at ColumbiaUniversity’s College of Physicians and Surgeons [http://microbiology.columbia.edu/index.html] . He is one of four virologists who recently authored "Principles of Animal Virology" (ASM Press) ^{[http://www.amazon.com] [http://estore.asm.org]} , a well-respected textbookused by many teaching virology to undergraduate, medical and post-graduate students. Asan esteemed member of the scientific community, Racaniello has been bestowed severalawards including Irma T. Hirschl, Searle Scholars, Eli Lilly and NIH Merit. He has alsobeen a Harvey Society Lecturer at Rockefeller University, The Hilleman Lecturer at theUniversity of Chicago, and University lecturer at Columbia University.

Education

Racaniello graduated from Cornell University in 1974 (BA, biological sciences) ^{[http://www.cornell.edu]} andcompleted his PhD in the laboratory of Peter Palese in 1980 ^{[http://www.mssm.edu/labs/palesp01]} , studying geneticreassortment of influenza virus. As a post-doctoral fellow in David Baltimore'slaboratory at MIT (1979-1982), Racaniello used recombinant DNA technology to cloneand sequence the genome of the small RNA animal virus poliovirus. Using these tools hegenerated the first infectious clone of an animal RNA virus (Science, 1981: 214916-919). Construction of the infectious clone revolutionized modern virology.

Research

Racaniello established his own research laboratory at Columbia University in the fall of1982 ^{[http://microbiology.columbia.edu/Micro_Files/Racaniello_Lab.html]} . The aim of his laboratory is to understand replication and pathogenesis of smallRNA animal viruses Picornaviruses. The life cycle of a virus begins with its attachmentto and entry into the cytoplasm of a cell. His laboratory identified CD155 (poliovirusreceptor, PVR); a cell surface protein, and member of the immunoglobin superfamily asthe protein that mediates this process (PNAS, 1986: 83 7845-7849; Cell, 1989: 56855-865). Understanding how the interaction between virus and cell alters the viralparticle and how virus entry is facilitated by the interaction has helped elucidate themeans by which poliovirus infection is initiated (JBC, 2000: 275 23809-23096; JV, 2001:75 4984-4989) .

Humans are the only known natural host for poliovirus. The study of viral disease istherefore only feasible with the generation of a small animal model. Though notsusceptible to poliovirus infection, murine cells do allow for efficient replication ofpoliovirus RNA introduced into the cytoplasm. Taking advantage of this observation,Racaniello’s laboratory constructed the first small animal model of poliomyelitis. Miceproducing the human CD155 protein were generated and infected with poliovirus (Cell,1990: 63 353-62). These specialized (transgenic) mice, exhibited all symptoms and pathology ofpoliomyelitis observed in humans including flaccid paralysis and spinal cord lesions.These mice today are used not only to continue to understand poliovirus pathogenesis butas a means to test the safety of stocks of the polio vaccine.

Poliomyelitis is a disease of the central nervous system; however it is believed thatCD155 is present on the surface of most if not all cells of the body. An element presentwithin the virus RNA was hypothesized to govern viral tropism which tissues the virusinfected. Newborn mice producing PVR were infected with wild-type poliovirus and achimeric poliovirus in which this element was replaced with the same region from hepatitis C virus,a liver specific virus, or coxsackievirus B3, a virus that infects the heart or meninges.Mice infected with any of these viruses exhibited symptoms of poliomyelitis. Thereforethis region of poliovirus does not determine tissue tropism of the virus (J Clin Invest,2004: 113 1743-1753).

Secretion of interferon is one means the body uses to ward off pathogens including viraldiseases. However poliovirus is able to replicate when interferon is added to mediumused to culture mammalian cells. Racaniello’s laboratory believes that this resistance isdictated by the 2A protein of poliovirus (JV, 1989: 63 5069-5075 and unpublished work).Racaniello’s laboratory continues to investigate how poliovirus circumvents the immuneresponse of the host enhancing our understanding of its pathogenesis and why it is adisease of the central nervous system.

Research after poliovirus

Even though global eradication of poliovirus was initiated in 1988, and poliovirusinfection continues throughout the world today, Racaniello’s laboratory has begun toinvestigate the life cycle and pathogenesis of other picornaviruses similar to poliovirus.These viruses include enterovirus 70 (EV70), human rhinovirus (rhinovirus),
coxsackievirus A21 and echovirus 1. Infectious clones of EV70 and several serotypes ofrhinoviruses were generated (JV, 2007: 81 8648-8655; JV, 2005: 79 5363-5373; JV, 2003:77 4773-4780). These reagents have been used to understand how host range of a viruscan be altered and to identify cellular proteins necessary for replication of the viral RNA.In addition a small animal model of virus echovirus 1 pathogenesis has been established(PNAS, 2003: 100 15906-15011).

Racaniello’s laboratory continues to pursue the fundamental principles of virus biology.

cience beyond the laboratory

Understanding that the world wide web is a primary scientific tool, Racaniello is one of the co-creators of BioCrowd ^{[http://www.biocrowd.com]} , a social network designed to bring together scientists of all disciplines. Racaniello's blog virology ^{[http://www.virology.ws/]} and net-cast with colleague Dickson Despommier ^{[http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/sph/ehs/4.html]} 'This week in virology' ^{[http://www.twiv.tv/TWiV001.mp3]} also unifies science with technology. Unlike BioCrowd however, his blog and net-cast are to bring virology and science to those outside of the fields. Continuing to bring virology to those outside of the field, Racaniello has established a library containing podcasts of lectures he has recently given at Columbia University ^{[http://microbiology.columbia.edu/virology.html]} .