My research focuses on how RNA viruses interact with their host cells. First, RNA viruses are targeted by RNA degradation pathways like nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). Using model plant viruses, both viral RNA sequences and proteins have been identified that confer protection against NMD. The viral movement protein, p26 from Pea enation mosaic virus 2 inhibits NMD and confers protection to both cellular and viral RNAs, severely disrupting cellular RNA metabolism in the process. Recent work has demonstrated that p26 undergoes phase separation in order to interact with both proviral and antiviral factors fibrillarin and G3BP, respectively. Ongoing studies are focused on how phase separation of viral proteins increase virus fitness and will shed light on how viruses utilize biomolecular condensates. This work could have broad applications since aberrant phase separation is a predominant factor in several neurodegenerative diseases.
Education and Training
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland – College Park (2015-2019)
Ph.D., Microbiology, Georgetown University (2010-2015)
Selected Publications
Brown SL, Garrison DJ, May JP. 2021. Phase separation of a plant virus movement protein and cellular factors support virus-host interactions. PLoS Pathog 17(9): e1009622.
Liu J, Carino E, Bera S, Gao F, May JP, Simon AE. 2021. Structural Analysis and Whole Genome Mapping of a New Type of Plant Virus Subviral RNA: Umbravirus-Like Associated RNAs. Viruses. Apr 9;13(4):646.
May JP, Simon AE. 2021. Targeting of viral RNAs by Upf1-mediated RNA decay pathways. Curr Opin Virol. Apr;47:1-8.
May JP, Johnson PZ, Ilyas M, Gao F, Simon AE. 2020. The Multifunctional Long-Distance Movement Protein of Pea Enation Mosaic Virus 2 Protects Viral and Host Transcripts from Nonsense-Mediated Decay. mBio 11:e00204-20.
May JP, Yuan XF, Sawicki E, Simon AE. 2018. RNA Virus Evasion of Nonsense-Mediated Decay. PLoS Pathogens. 14(11): e1007459.
Aguado LC, Schmid S, May J, Sabin LR, Panis M, Blanco-Melo D, Shim JV, Sachs D, Cherry S, Simon AE, Levraud JP, tenOever BR. 2017. RNase III nucleases from diverse kingdoms serve as antiviral effectors. Nature 547:114-117.
May J, Johnson P, Saleem H, Simon AE. 2017. A Sequence-Independent, Unstructured IRES is Responsible for Internal Expression of the Coat Protein of Turnip Crinkle Virus. J Virol. Apr; 91(8) 02421-16