Single-Molecule Sequencing Reveals Complex Genome Variation of Hepatitis B Virus during 15 Years of Chronic Infection following Liver Transplantation.

ABSTRACT:

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Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is prevalent worldwide. The infectious agent, hepatitis B virus (HBV), replicates via an RNA intermediate and is error prone, leading to the rapid generation of closely related but not identical viral variants, including those that can escape host immune responses and antiviral treatments. The complexity of CHB can be further enhanced by the presence of HBV variants with large deletions in the genome generated via splicing (spHBV variants). Although spHBV variants are incapable of autonomous replication, their replication is rescued by wild-type HBV. spHBV variants have been shown to enhance wild-type virus replication, and their prevalence increases with liver disease progression. Single-molecule deep sequencing was performed on whole HBV genom

SUBMITTER: Betz-Stablein BD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4984637 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature