P.180 Hepatitis C virus (HCV) internal ribosome entry site (IRES) variants from serum, liver and PBMCs and their translational efficiency in different cell lines

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. S116
Author(s):  
F. Hsieh ◽  
D. Forton ◽  
H.C. Thomas ◽  
P. Karayiannis
2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (15) ◽  
pp. 7024-7031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hervé Lerat ◽  
Yoko K. Shimizu ◽  
Stanley M. Lemon

ABSTRACT Low-level replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in cultured lymphoblastoid cells inoculated with H77 serum inoculum led to the appearance of new virus variants containing identical substitutions at three sites within the viral 5′ nontranslated RNA (5′NTR): G107→A, C204→A, and G243→A (N. Nakajima, M. Hijikata, H. Yoshikura, and Y. K. Shimizu, J. Virol. 70:3325–3329, 1996). These results suggest that virus with this 5′NTR sequence may have a greater capacity for replication in such cells, possibly due to more efficient cap-independent translation, since these nucleotide substitutions reside within the viral internal ribosome entry site (IRES). To test this hypothesis, we examined the translation of dicistronic RNAs containing upstream and downstream reporter sequences (Renilla and firefly luciferases, respectively) separated by IRES sequences containing different combinations of these substitutions. The activity of the IRES was assessed by determining the relative firefly and Renillaluciferase activities expressed in transfected cells. Compared with the IRES present in the dominant H77 quasispecies, an IRES containing all three nucleotide substitutions had significantly greater translational activity in three of five human lymphoblastoid cell lines (Raji, Bjab, and Molt4 but not Jurkat or HPBMa10-2 cells). In contrast, these substitutions did not enhance IRES activity in cell lines derived from monocytes or granulocytes (HL-60, KG-1, or THP-1) or hepatocytes (Huh-7) or in cell-free translation assays carried out with rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Each of the three substitutions was required for maximally increased translational activity in the lymphoblastoid cells. The 2- to 2.5-fold increase in translation observed with the modified IRES sequence may facilitate the replication of HCV, possibly accounting for differences in quasispecies variants recovered from liver tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the same patient.


2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (23) ◽  
pp. 11579-11588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yutong Song ◽  
Peter Friebe ◽  
Eleni Tzima ◽  
Christiane Jünemann ◽  
Ralf Bartenschlager ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The positive-strand RNA genome of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is flanked by 5′- and 3′-untranslated regions (UTRs). Translation of the viral RNA is directed by the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in the 5′-UTR, and subsequent viral RNA replication requires sequences in the 3′-UTR and in the 5′-UTR. Addressing previous conflicting reports on a possible function of the 3′-UTR for RNA translation in this study, we found that reporter construct design is an important parameter in experiments testing 3′-UTR function. A translation enhancer function of the HCV 3′-UTR was detected only after transfection of monocistronic reporter RNAs or complete RNA genomes having a 3′-UTR with a precise 3′ terminus. The 3′-UTR strongly stimulates HCV IRES-dependent translation in human hepatoma cell lines but only weakly in nonliver cell lines. The variable region, the poly(U · C) tract, and the most 3′ terminal stem-loop 1 of the highly conserved 3′ X region contribute significantly to translation enhancement, whereas stem-loops 2 and 3 of the 3′ X region are involved only to a minor extent. Thus, the signals for translation enhancement and for the initiation of RNA minus-strand synthesis in the HCV 3′-UTR partially overlap, supporting the idea that these sequences along with viral and possibly also cellular factors may be involved in an RNA 3′-5′ end interaction and a switch between translation and RNA replication.


1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (7) ◽  
pp. 5638-5647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saumitra Das ◽  
Michael Ott ◽  
Akemi Yamane ◽  
Weimin Tsai ◽  
Matthias Gromeier ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection frequently leads to chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver and has been linked to development of hepatocellular carcinoma. We previously identified a small yeast RNA (IRNA) capable of specifically inhibiting poliovirus (PV) internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated translation. Here we report that IRNA specifically inhibits HCV IRES-mediated translation both in vivo and in vitro. A number of human hepatoma (Huh-7) cell lines expressing IRNA were prepared and characterized. Constitutive expression of IRNA was not detrimental to cell growth. HCV IRES-mediated cap-independent translation was markedly inhibited in cells constitutively expressing IRNA compared to control hepatoma cells. However, cap-dependent translation was not significantly affected in these cell lines. Additionally, Huh-7 cells constitutively expressing IRNA became refractory to infection by a PV-HCV chimera in which the PV IRES is replaced by the HCV IRES. In contrast, replication of a PV-encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) chimera containing the EMCV IRES element was not affected significantly in the IRNA-producing cell line. Finally, the binding of the La autoantigen to the HCV IRES element was specifically and efficiently competed by IRNA. These results provide a basis for development of novel drugs effective against HCV infection.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (21) ◽  
pp. 12075-12081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongsheng Li ◽  
William B. Lott ◽  
John Martyn ◽  
Gholamreza Haqshenas ◽  
Eric J. Gowans

ABSTRACT To investigate the role of the hepatitis C virus internal ribosome entry site (HCV IRES) domain IV in translation initiation and regulation, two chimeric IRES elements were constructed to contain the reciprocal domain IV in the otherwise HCV and classical swine fever virus IRES elements. This permitted an examination of the role of domain IV in the control of HCV translation. A specific inhibitor of the HCV IRES, vitamin B12, was shown to inhibit translation directed by all IRES elements which contained domain IV from the HCV and the GB virus B IRES elements, whereas the HCV core protein could only suppress translation from the wild-type HCV IRES. Thus, the mechanisms of translation inhibition by vitamin B12 and the core protein differ, and they target different regions of the IRES.


2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (15) ◽  
pp. 6861-6870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Costa-Mattioli ◽  
Yuri Svitkin ◽  
Nahum Sonenberg

ABSTRACT Translation of poliovirus and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNAs is initiated by recruitment of 40S ribosomes to an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in the mRNA 5′ untranslated region. Translation initiation of these RNAs is stimulated by noncanonical initiation factors called IRES trans-activating factors (ITAFs). The La autoantigen is such an ITAF, but functional evidence for the role of La in poliovirus and HCV translation in vivo is lacking. Here, by two methods using small interfering RNA and a dominant-negative mutant of La, we demonstrate that depletion of La causes a dramatic reduction in poliovirus IRES function in vivo. We also show that 40S ribosomal subunit binding to HCV and poliovirus IRESs in vitro is inhibited by a dominant-negative form of La. These results provide strong evidence for a function of the La autoantigen in IRES-dependent translation and define the step of translation which is stimulated by La.


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