Hepatitis B Virus Polymerase Localizes to the Mitochondria, and Its Terminal Protein Domain Contains the Mitochondrial Targeting Signal.

ABSTRACT:

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To understand subcellular sites of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication, we visualized core (Cp), polymerase (Pol), and pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) in infected cells. Interestingly, we found that the majority of Pol localized to the mitochondria in cells undergoing viral replication. The mitochondrial localization of Pol was independent of both the cell type and other viral components, indicating that Pol contains an intrinsic mitochondrial targeting signal (MTS). Neither Cp nor pgRNA localized to the mitochondria during active replication, suggesting a role other than DNA synthesis for Pol at the mitochondria. The Pol of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) also localized to the mitochondria. This result indicates that localization of Pol to mitochondria is likely a feature of all h

SUBMITTER: Unchwaniwala N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5021430 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature