Vera Tarakanova, PhD

Associate Professor

Locations

Microbiology & Immunology
BSB B2350

Contact Information

General Interests

Virus-associated Tumorigenesis , Virus-host Interactions

Education

PhD, Microbiology, Saint Louis University
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Washington University

Learn more about the Tarakanova Lab

Research Interests

I have a long-standing interest in virus-host interactions, particularly as it applies to cancer-associated viruses. Our current research focuses on gammaherpesviruses. Gammaherpesviruses infect >95% of all humans and the infection is never cleared. Importantly, gammaherpesviruses drive the development of several malignancies, including lymphomas. While it is clear that not every infected human will develop virus-driven lymphoma, the risk factors for viral lymphomagenesis remain poorly defined and it is next to impossible to predict individual’s risk of developing gammaherpesvirus-driven cancer, a knowledge gap we aim to tackle.

Our research group utilizes the mouse gammaherpesvirus-68 (MHV68) model to study the entire spectrum of virus-host interactions: from viral and cellular molecular mechanisms using cultures of primary immune cells to chronic infection of an intact host to viral pathogenesis. Our group’s research interests are broad and interdisciplinary and span several fields, including molecular and cellular biology, signaling networks, animal models of viral infection and disease, innate and adaptive immune responses, and metabolism. Our trainees become highly sought-after interdisciplinary scientists, with the training supported by numerous external and internal collaborations.

Virology under the Microscope-a Call for Rational Discourse.

(Goodrum F, Lowen AC, Lakdawala S, Alwine J, Casadevall A, Imperiale MJ, Atwood W, Avgousti D, Baines J, Banfield B, Banks L, Bhaduri-McIntosh S, Bhattacharya D, Blanco-Melo D, Bloom D, Boon A, Boulant S, Brandt C, Broadbent A, Brooke C, Cameron C, Campos S, Caposio P, Chan G, Cliffe A, Coffin J, Collins K, Damania B, Daugherty M, Debbink K, DeCaprio J, Dermody T, Dikeakos J, DiMaio D, Dinglasan R, Duprex WP, Dutch R, Elde N, Emerman M, Enquist L, Fane B, Fernandez-Sesma A, Flenniken M, Frappier L, Frieman M, Frueh K, Gack M, Gaglia M, Gallagher T, Galloway D, García-Sastre A, Geballe A, Glaunsinger B, Goff S, Greninger A, Hancock M, Harris E, Heaton N, Heise M, Heldwein E, Hogue B, Horner S, Hutchinson E, Hyser J, Jackson W, Kalejta R, Kamil J, Karst S, Kirchhoff F, Knipe D, Kowalik T, Lagunoff M, Laimins L, Langlois R, Lauring A, Lee B, Leib D, Liu SL, Longnecker R, Lopez C, Luftig M, Lund J, Manicassamy B, McFadden G, McIntosh M, Mehle A, Miller WA, Mohr I, Moody C, Moorman N, Moscona A, Mounce B, Munger J, Münger K, Murphy E, Naghavi M, Nelson J, Neufeldt C, Nikolich J, O'Connor C, Ono A, Orenstein W, Ornelles D, Ou JH, Parker J, Parrish C, Pekosz A, Pellett P, Pfeiffer J, Plemper R, Polyak S, Purdy J, Pyeon D, Quinones-Mateu M, Renne R, Rice C, Schoggins J, Roller R, Russell C, Sandri-Goldin R, Sapp M, Schang L, Schmid S, Schultz-Cherry S, Semler B, Shenk T, Silvestri G, Simon V, Smith G, Smith J, Spindler K, Stanifer M, Subbarao K, Sundquist W, Suthar M, Sutton T, Tai A, Tarakanova V, tenOever B, Tibbetts S, Tompkins S, Toth Z, van Doorslaer K, Vignuzzi M, Wallace N, Walsh D, Weekes M, Weinberg J, Weitzman M, Weller S, Whelan S, White E, Williams B, Wobus C, Wong S, Yurochko A.) mSphere. 2023 Apr 20;8(2):e0003423 PMID: 36700653 PMCID: PMC10117089 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85153410112 01/27/2023
Clonal lineage tracing reveals mechanisms skewing CD8+ T cell fate decisions in chronic infection.

(Kasmani MY, Zander R, Chung HK, Chen Y, Khatun A, Damo M, Topchyan P, Johnson KE, Levashova D, Burns R, Lorenz UM, Tarakanova VL, Joshi NS, Kaech SM, Cui W.) J Exp Med. 2023 Jan 02;220(1) PMID: 36315049 PMCID: PMC9623343 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85140941501 11/01/2022
T cell-extrinsic IL-1 signaling controls long-term gammaherpesvirus infection by suppressing viral reactivation.

(Sylvester PA, Corbett JA, Tarakanova VL.) Virology. 2022 Nov;576:134-140 PMID: 36244319 PMCID: PMC10069094 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85139738671 10/17/2022
The Antagonism between the Murine Gammaherpesvirus Protein Kinase and Global Interferon Regulatory Factor 1 Expression Shapes the Establishment of Chronic Infection.

(Jondle CN, Sylvester PA, Schmalzriedt DL, Njoya K, Tarakanova VL.) J Virol. 2022 Oct 26;96(20):e0126022 PMID: 36169331 PMCID: PMC9599343 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85140856863 09/29/2022
T Cell-Specific STAT1 Expression Promotes Lytic Replication and Supports the Establishment of Gammaherpesvirus Latent Reservoir in Splenic B Cells.

(Sylvester PA, Jondle CN, Schmalzriedt DL, Dittel BN, Tarakanova VL.) mBio. 2022 Aug 30;13(4):e0210722 PMID: 35968944 PMCID: PMC9430880 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85137124604 08/16/2022
T Cell-Intrinsic Interleukin 17 Receptor A Signaling Supports the Establishment of Chronic Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 Infection.

(Jondle CN, Tarakanova VL.) J Virol. 2022 Jul 27;96(14):e0063922 PMID: 35758659 PMCID: PMC9327704 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85135198022 06/28/2022
T cell-extrinsic IL-1 signaling controls long-term gammaherpesvirus infection by suppressing viral reactivation

(Sylvester PA, Corbett JA, Tarakanova VL.) Virology. November 2022;576:134-140 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85139738671 11/01/2022
Mouse Homologue of Human HLA-DO Does Not Preempt Autoimmunity but Controls Murine Gammaherpesvirus MHV68.

(Lee J, Cullum E, Stoltz K, Bachmann N, Strong Z, Millick DD, Denzin LK, Chang A, Tarakanova V, Chervonsky AV, Golovkina T.) J Immunol. 2021 Dec 15;207(12):2944-2951 PMID: 34810225 PMCID: PMC9124240 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85134177854 11/24/2021
T Cell-Intrinsic Interferon Regulatory Factor 1 Expression Suppresses Differentiation of CD4+ T Cell Populations That Support Chronic Gammaherpesvirus Infection.

(Jondle CN, Johnson KE, Mboko WP, Tarakanova VL.) J Virol. 2021 Sep 27;95(20):e0072621 PMID: 34346769 PMCID: PMC8475519 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85116357074 08/05/2021
MyD88 is an essential regulator of NK cell-mediated clearance of MCMV infection.

(Dixon KJ, Siebert JR, Wang D, Abel AM, Johnson KE, Riese MJ, Terhune SS, Tarakanova VL, Thakar MS, Malarkannan S.) Mol Immunol. 2021 Sep;137:94-104 PMID: 34242922 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85109126048 07/10/2021