Professor Andrew Mercer
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Professor Andrew Mercer (Department of Microbiology & Immunology) is Director of the Virus Research Unit. This group has broad interests in viral pathogenesis, the generation of virus-derived therapeutics and vaccine development. His research is particularly focused on poxviruses, including viral gene structure - function analyses, their interactions with infected hosts and investigations of the molecular evolution of this family of very large DNA viruses.
For more information on Professor Mercer's work: http://micro.otago.ac.nz/our-people/andymercer
Recent Publications
Cebe-Suarez, P., Mercer, A.A. et al. Orf virus VEGF-E NZ2 promotes paracellular NRP-1/VEGFR-2 coreceptor assembly via the peptide RPPR. Faseb Journal 22, 3078-3086 (2008).
Chang, S.J., Mercer, A.A. et al. Poxvirus Host Range Protein CP77 Contains an F-Box-Like Domain That Is Necessary To Suppress NF-kappa B Activation by Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha but Is Independent of Its Host Range Function. Journal of Virology 83, 4140-4152 (2009).
Deane, D., Mercer, A.A. et al. Conservation and variation of the parapoxvirus GM-CSF-inhibitory factor (GIF) proteins. Journal of General Virology 90, 970-977 (2009).
Fairley, R.A., Whelan, E.M., Pesavento, P.A. & Mercer, A.A. Recurrent localised cutaneous parapoxvirus infection in three cats. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 56, 196-201 (2008).
Inder, M.K., Wise, L.M., Fleming, S.B. & Mercer, A.A. The C-terminus of viral vascular endothelial growth factor-E partially blocks binding to VEGF receptor-1. Febs Journal 275, 207-217 (2008).
Sonnberg, S., Seet, B.T., Pawson, T., Fleming, S.B. & Mercer, A.A. Poxvirus ankyrin repeat proteins are a unique class of F-box proteins that associate with cellular SCF1 ubiquitin ligase complexes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 105, 10955-10960 (2008).
Tan, J.L., Ueda, N., Mercer, A.A. & Fleming, S.B. Investigation of orf virus structure and morphogenesis using recombinants expressing FLAG-tagged envelope structural proteins: evidence for wrapped virus particles and egress from infected cells. Journal of General Virology 90, 614-625 (2009).
Vijaysri, S., Mercer, A.A. et al. Vaccinia viruses with mutations in the E3L gene as potential replication-competent, attenuated vaccines: Intra-nasal vaccination. Vaccine 26, 664-676 (2008).