scholarly journals Small Interfering RNA Targeted to Hepatitis C Virus 5′ NontranslatedRegion Exerts Potent Antiviral Effect

2006 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 669-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuo Kanda ◽  
Robert Steele ◽  
Ranjit Ray ◽  
Ratna B. Ray
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Virus Replication ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Therapeutic Modality ◽  
Genome Replication ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
Hcv Genotype ◽  
Conserved Sequence

ABSTRACT Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Interferon alone or together with ribavirin is the only therapy for HCV infection; however, a significant number of HCV-infected individuals do not respond to this treatment. Therefore, the development of new therapeutic options against HCV is a matter of urgency. In the present study, we have examined vectors carrying short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting the 5′ nontranslated conserved region of the HCV genome for inhibition of virus replication. Initially, three sequences were selected, and all three shRNAs (psh-53, psh-274, and psh-375) suppressed HCV internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated translation to different degrees in Huh-7 cells. Next, we introduced siRNA into Huh-7.5 cells persistently infected with HCV genotype 2a (JFH1). The most efficient inhibition of JFH1 replication was observed with psh-274, targeted to the portion from subdomain IIId to IIIe of the IRES. Subsequently, Huh-7.5 cells stably expressing psh-274 further displayed a significant reduction in HCV JFH1 replication. The effect of psh-274 on cell-culture-grown HCV genotype 1a (H77) was also evaluated, and inhibition of virus replication and infectivity titers was observed. In the absence of a cell-culture-grown HCV genotype 1b, the effects of psh-274 on subgenomic and full-length replicons were examined, and efficient inhibition of genome replication was observed. Therefore, we have identified a conserved sequence targeted to the HCV genome that can inhibit replication of different genotypes, suggesting the potential of siRNA as an additional therapeutic modality against HCV infection.

scholarly journals Location specific small RNA annealing to the HCV 5’ UTR promotes Hepatitis C Virus replication by favoring IRES formation and stimulating virus translation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasika D. Kunden ◽  
Sarah Ghezelbash ◽  
Juveriya Q. Khan ◽  
Joyce A. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Virus Replication ◽  
Small Rna ◽  
Small Rnas ◽  
Rna Structure ◽  
Mechanistic Model ◽  
Genome Replication ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
Genome Stabilization

ABSTRACTHepatitis C virus (HCV) genome replication requires annealing of a liver specific small-RNA, miR-122 to 2 sites on 5’ untranslated region (UTR). Annealing has been reported to a) stabilize the genome, b) promote translation, and c) induce the canonical HCV 5’ UTR Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) structure. In this report we identify the relative impact of small RNA annealing on the three functions ascribed to miR-122 and generate a mechanistic model for miR-122 promotion of HCV. First, we identified that perfectly complementary small RNAs that anneal to different locations on the HCV 5’ UTR stimulate replication with varying efficiencies and mapped the region on the HCV genome to which small RNA annealing promotes virus replication. Second, by using a panel of small RNAs that promote with varying efficiencies we link HCV replication induction with translation stimulation and 5’ UTR RNA structure modifications. However, replication promotion was not linked to genome stabilization since all small RNAs tested could stabilize the viral genome regardless of their ability to promote replication. Thus, we propose that miR-122 annealing promotes HCV replication primarily by activating the HCV IRES and stimulating translation, and that miR-122-induced HCV genome stabilization is insufficient alone but enhances virus replication.Graphical Abstract

scholarly journals Hepatitis C virus depends on E-cadherin as an entry factor and regulates its expression in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (27) ◽  
pp. 7620-7625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qisheng Li ◽  
Catherine Sodroski ◽  
Brianna Lowey ◽  
Cameron J. Schweitzer ◽  
Helen Cha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Hcv Rna ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
E Cadherin

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) enters the host cell through interactions with a cascade of cellular factors. Although significant progress has been made in understanding HCV entry, the precise mechanisms by which HCV exploits the receptor complex and host machinery to enter the cell remain unclear. This intricate process of viral entry likely depends on additional yet-to-be-defined cellular molecules. Recently, by applying integrative functional genomics approaches, we identified and interrogated distinct sets of host dependencies in the complete HCV life cycle. Viral entry assays using HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpps) of various genotypes uncovered multiple previously unappreciated host factors, including E-cadherin, that mediate HCV entry. E-cadherin silencing significantly inhibited HCV infection in Huh7.5.1 cells, HepG2/miR122/CD81 cells, and primary human hepatocytes at a postbinding entry step. Knockdown of E-cadherin, however, had no effect on HCV RNA replication or internal ribosomal entry site (IRES)-mediated translation. In addition, an E-cadherin monoclonal antibody effectively blocked HCV entry and infection in hepatocytes. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that E-cadherin is closely associated with claudin-1 (CLDN1) and occludin (OCLN) on the cell membrane. Depletion of E-cadherin drastically diminished the cell-surface distribution of these two tight junction proteins in various hepatic cell lines, indicating that E-cadherin plays an important regulatory role in CLDN1/OCLN localization on the cell surface. Furthermore, loss of E-cadherin expression in hepatocytes is associated with HCV-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), providing an important link between HCV infection and liver cancer. Our data indicate that a dynamic interplay among E-cadherin, tight junctions, and EMT exists and mediates an important function in HCV entry.

scholarly journals Enhanced virus translation enables miR-122-independent Hepatitis C Virus propagation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamata Panigrahi ◽  
Michael Palmer ◽  
Joyce A Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Virus Replication ◽  
Rna Structure ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Internal Ribosomal Entry Site ◽  
Terminal Region ◽  
Translation Regulation ◽  
Virus Propagation ◽  
Entry Site

The 5’UTR of the Hepatitis C Virus genome forms RNA structures that regulate virus replication and translation. The region contains a viral internal ribosomal entry site and a 5’ terminal region. Binding of the liver specific miRNA, miR-122, to two conserved binding sites in the 5’ terminal region regulates viral replication, translation, and genome stability, and is essential for efficient virus replication, but its precise mechanism of its action is still under debate. A current hypothesis is that miR-122 binding stimulates viral translation by facilitating the viral 5’ UTR to form the translationally active HCV IRES RNA structure. While miR-122 is essential for detectable virus replication in cell culture, several viral variants with 5’ UTR mutations exhibit low level replication in the absence of miR-122. We show that HCV mutants capable of replicating independently of miR-122 also replicate independently of other microRNAs generated by the canonical miRNA synthesis pathway. Further, we also show that the mutant genomes display an enhanced translation phenotype that correlates with their ability to replicate independently of miR-122. Finally, we provide evidence that translation regulation is the major role for miR-122, and show that miR-122-independent HCV replication can be rescued to miR-122-dependent levels by the combined impacts of 5’ UTR mutations that stimulate translation, and by stabilizing the viral genome by knockdown of host exonucleases and phosphatases that degrade the genome. Thus, we provide a model suggesting that translation stimulation and genome stabilization are the primary roles for miR-122 in the virus life cycle.

Study of multiple genetic variations caused by persistent hepatitis C virus replication in long-term cell culture

2019 ◽  
Vol 165 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuyuki Kato ◽  
Youki Ueda ◽  
Hiroe Sejima ◽  
Weilin Gu ◽  
Shinya Satoh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Virus Replication ◽  
Genetic Variations

scholarly journals Generation of Infectious Hepatitis C Virus in Immortalized Human Hepatocytes

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 4633-4639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuo Kanda ◽  
Arnab Basu ◽  
Robert Steele ◽  
Takaji Wakita ◽  
Jan S. Ryerse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Protein Expression ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Human Hepatocytes ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Virus Growth ◽  
Hcv Genotype

ABSTRACT Progress in understanding hepatitis C virus (HCV) biology has remained a challenge due to the lack of an efficient cell culture system for virus growth. In this study, we examined HCV core protein-mediated immortalized human hepatocytes (IHH) for growth of HCV. In vitro-transcribed full-length RNA from HCV genotype 1a (clone H77) was introduced into IHH by electroporation. Reverse transcription-PCR of cellular RNA isolated from HCV genome-transfected IHH suggested that viral RNA replication occurred. IHH transfected with the full-length HCV genome also displayed viral protein expression by indirect immunofluorescence. In contrast, cells transfected with polymerase-defective HCV (H77/GND) RNA as a negative control did not exhibit expression of the viral genome. Immunogold labeling demonstrated localization of E1 protein in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of RNA-transfected IHH. Virus-like particles of ∼50 nm were observed in the cytoplasm. After being inoculated with culture media of cells transfected with the full-length HCV genome, naïve IHH displayed NS5a protein expression in a dilution-dependent manner, but expression of NS5a was inhibited by prior incubation of culture medium with HCV-infected patient sera. NS5a-positive immunofluorescence of cell culture media of IHH transfected with full-length H77 RNA yielded ∼4.5 × 104 to 1 × 105 focus-forming units/ml. A similar level of virus growth was observed upon transfection of RNA from HCV genotype 2a (JFH1) into IHH. Taken together, our results suggest that IHH support HCV genome replication and virus assembly.

scholarly journals Mutations Identified in the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Polymerase of Patients with Chronic HCV Treated with Ribavirin Cause Resistance and Affect Viral Replication Fidelity

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Mejer ◽  
Ulrik Fahnøe ◽  
Andrea Galli ◽  
Santseharay Ramirez ◽  
Ola Weiland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Chronic Hepatitis ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Chronic Hepatitis C ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Resistance Mutations ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
Chronic Hcv ◽  
Genotype 3A

ABSTRACT Ribavirin has been used for 25 years to treat patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; however, its antiviral mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, we studied virus evolution in a subset of samples from a randomized 24-week trial of ribavirin monotherapy versus placebo in chronic HCV patients, as well as the viral resistance mechanisms of the observed ribavirin-associated mutations in cell culture. Thus, we performed next-generation sequencing of the full-length coding sequences of HCV recovered from patients at weeks 0, 12, 20, 32 and 40 and analyzed novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), diversity, and mutation-linkage. At week 20, increased genetic diversity was observed in 5 ribavirin-treated compared to 4 placebo-treated HCV patients due to new synonymous SNPs, particularly G-to-A and C-to-U ribavirin-associated transitions. Moreover, emergence of 14 nonsynonymous SNPs in HCV nonstructural 5B (NS5B) occurred in treated patients, but not in placebo controls. Most substitutions located close to the NS5B polymerase nucleotide entry site. Linkage analysis showed that putative resistance mutations were found in the majority of genomes in ribavirin-treated patients. Identified NS5B mutations from genotype 3a patients were further introduced into the genotype 3a cell-culture-adapted DBN strain for studies in Huh7.5 cells. Specific NS5B substitutions, including DBN-D148N+I363V, DBN-A150V+I363V, and DBN-T227S+S183P, conferred resistance to ribavirin in long-term cell culture treatment, possibly by reducing the HCV polymerase error rate. In conclusion, prolonged exposure of HCV to ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients induces NS5B resistance mutations leading to increased polymerase fidelity, which could be one mechanism for ribavirin resistance.

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