e-mail:SanfaconH@agr.gc.ca
office phone: (250) 494-6393
Fax: (250) 494-0755

Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Botany
B. Sc. Université Laval (1980)
Ph. D. Université Laval (1985)
Postdoctoral, Friedrich Miescher Inst., Switzerland (1986-90)
Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
                    - Vancouver Research Centre (1990-1996)
                    - Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Summerland (1996-now)
Associate Editor, Botany
Head, Secoviridae Study Group, International Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)
Elected Member, Executive Committee, ICTV

In response to the discovery of Plum pox virus in Canada (PPV, the causal agent of sharka disease, a devastating disease of Prunus species in Europe), we have also participated in a team research effort to develop resistance to PPV in Prunus germlines.

Selected recent research publications:
Wetzel, T., Chisholm, J., Bassler, A. and Sanfacon, H. (2008) Characterization of proteinase cleavage sites in the N-terminal region of the RNA1-encoded polyprotein from Arabis mosaic virus (subgroup A nepovirus). Virology 375, 159-169

Jovel J., Walker M. and Sanfaçon, H. (2007) Recovery of Nicotiana benthamiana plants from a necrotic response induced by a nepovirus is associated with RNA silencing but not with reduced virus titer J. Virol. 81, 12285-12297

Chisholm, J., Zhang, G., Wang, A. and Sanfaçon, H. (2007) Peripheral association of a polyprotein precursor form of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of Tomato ringspot virus with the membrane-bound viral replication complex. Virology 368, 133-144

Zhang G. and Sanfaçon, H. (2006) Characterization of membrane-association domains within the Tomato ringspot nepovirus X2 protein, an endoplasmic reticulum-targeted polytopic membrane protein. J. Virol. 80, 10847-10857

Zhang, S. C., Zhang, G., Yang, L, Chisholm, J. and Sanfaçon, H (2005). Evidence that insertion of Tomato ringspot virus NTB-VPg protein in endoplasmic reticulum membranes is controlled by two domains: a C-terminal transmembrane helix and an N-terminal amphipathic helix. J. Virol. 79, 11766-11775

Wang, A., Han, S. and Sanfaçon, H. (2004). Topogenesis in membranes of the NTB-VPg protein of Tomato ringspot nepovirus: definition of the C-terminal transmembrane domain. J. Gen. Virol. 85, 535-545

Han, S. and Sanfaçon, H. (2003). Tomato ringspot virus proteins containing the nucleoside triphosphate binding domain are transmembrane proteins that associate with the endoplasmic reticulum and co-fractionate with replication complexes. J. Virol. 77, 523-534

Léonard, S., Chisholm, J., Laliberté, J.F. and Sanfaçon, H. (2002). Interaction in vitro between the proteinase of Tomato ringspot virus (genus nepovirus) and the eukaryotic translation initiation factor iso4E from Arabidopsis thaliana. J. Gen. Virol. 83, 2085-2089