Research

Our laboratory primarily focuses on elucidating mechanisms controlling cytomegalovirus (CMV) gene expression that is essential for viral replication. The overarching goal is to identify viral-specific targets susceptible to pharmacologic agents that could effectively stop CMV replication. We have recently developed and applied new methods to study transcription control that are broadly relevant to other viruses and human diseases. Using these advanced technologies, we uncovered mechanisms of viral transcription control not previously known. In recent years, our laboratory has also contributed to a multisite collaborative effort to study the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and mpox.

CMV Promoter; CMV Intranuclear Inclusions
CMV transcription control mechanisms differ between early and late stages of the CMV replication cycle. The major CMV promoter functions as the virus’s master switch (leftward panel) and viral late transcription factors function in viral replication compartments (rightward panel) to bring about transcription of a different set of viral genes in late-stage infection. 

Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator

Jeffery Meier, MD
Professor
Dept. of Internal Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases
HIV/AIDS Clinic

Selected Publications

Azeem A, Baartman B, Conrady CD, Meier JL*, El-Herte R*.  Herpes simplex virus dissemination with necrotizing hepatitis following Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty. BMC Infect Dis. 2023 Jul 12;23(1):465. doi: 10.1186/s12879-023-08414-6. PMID: 37438705. *Co-communicating 

Forte E, Li M, Ayaloglu Butun F, Hu Q, Borst EM, Schipma MJ, Piunti A, Shilatifard A, Terhune SS, Abecassis M, Meier JL*, and Hummel M*. *Co-senior authors.  Critical role for the human cytomegalovirus major immediate early proteins in recruitment of RNA polymerase II and H3K27Ac by an enhancer-like element in OriLyt. Microbiol Spect. 2023 Jan 16;e0314422.doi: 10.1128/spectrum.03144-22. PMID: 36645269

Elliott RP, Freeman BP, Meier JL*, El-Herte R*. Acute Cytomegalovirus Illness in an Immunocompetent Adult Causing Intravascular Hemolysis and Suspected Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis. Case Rep Infect Dis. 2022:7949471. doi: 10.1155/2022/7949471. PMID: 35847599. *Co-communicating authors 

Ball CB, Parida M., Li M., Spector BM, Suarez, GA, Meier, JL, Price DH. Human cytomegalovirus infection elicits global changes in host transcription by RNA polymerases I, II, and III. Viruses 2022, 14(4) 779: https://doi.org/10.3390/v14040779. PMID: 35458509 

Ball CB, Li M, Parida M, Hu Q, Ince D, Collins GS, Meier, JL, Price, DH. Human cytomegalovirus IE2 both activates and represses initiation and modulates elongation in a context-dependent manner. mBio 2022. PMID: 35579393 

Spector BM, Parida M, Li M, Ball CB, Meier JL, Luse DS, Price DH. Differences in RNA polymerase II complexes and their interactions with surrounding chromatin on human and cytomegalovirus genomes. Nature Communications 2022. 13:2006 PMID: 35422111. PMCID: xxxxx. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29739-x 

Nguyen, V.-T., Jatta, A., Mayer, R., A., Meier, JL. Evaluation of undiagnosed HIV estimates computed from the CD4 depletion model in a rural, medium-low HIV prevalence state. AIDS and Behavior. 26(2):613-622.  DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03419-12021. PMID: 34355286 

Li M, Hu Q, Collins G, Parida, M, Ball CB,, Price DH, and Meier JL. Cytomegalovirus Late Transcription Factor Target Sequence Diversity Orchestrates Viral Early to Late Transcription. PLoS Pathog. Published 02 Aug 2021. PMID: 34339482; PMC8360532 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1009796 

Meier, JL. Acute viral gastroenteritis in special populations. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2021 Jun;50(2):305-322. PMID: 34024443. DOI: 10.1016/j.gtc.2021.02.003

Li M, Ball CB, Collins G, Hu Q, Luse DS, Price DH, and Meier JL. Human cytomegalovirus IE2 drives transcription initiation from a select subset of late infection viral promoters by host RNA polymerase II. PLoS Pathog. 2020;16(4):e1008402. Epub 2020/04/07. PubMed PMID: 32251483; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC 7162547. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008402

Parida, M, Nilson, KA, Li, M, Ball, CB, Fuchs, HA, Lawson, CK, Luse, DS, Meier JL, Price, DH. Nucleotide-resolution comparison of transcription of human cytomegalovirus and host genomes reveals universal use of RNA polymerase II elongation control driven by dissimilar core promoter elements. mBio 10:e02047-18. 2019. PMID: 30755505, PMCID: PMC6372792. DOI: 10.1128/mBio.02047-18

All Publications

See Dr. Meier's complete list of publications on PubMed.