Association of hepatitis B virus genomes with active chromatin hubs challenges host replication fidelity, leading to DNA damage.
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE261927 | GEO | 2024/03/24
REPOSITORIES: GEO
Similar Datasets
Project description:Background & Aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health burden worldwide and currently there is no cure. The persistence of HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is the major obstacle for antiviral treatment. HBV core protein (HBc) has merged as a promising antiviral target, as it plays important roles in critical steps of viral life cycle. However, whether HBc could regulate HBV cccDNA transcription remains to be illustrated. Methods: Synthesized HBV cccDNA and HBVcircle with or without HBc deficiency were transfected into hepatocytes. A recently reported Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) mediated HBV cccDNA mouse model was employed. Two capsid assembly modulators (CAMs) were used. HBV replication markers were evaluated. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) or ChIP sequencing assays were conducted with different transcription factors, histones and RNA polymerase 2. Results: In HBV cccDNA and HBVcircle transfection assays, lack of HBc showed no effect on transcription of HBV RNA as well as HBV surface antigen production. Reconstitution of HBc did not change cccDNA derived HBV markers. Similar results were obtained in vivo, from mouse cccDNA model. ChIP data revealed similar transcription regulation of HBc deficient cccDNA chromatin with wide type cccDNA. Furthermore, CAMs treatment could not alter cccDNA transcription. Conclusions: Our results indicate that HBc neither affects histone modifications and transcription factors binding of cccDNA, nor influences cccDNA transcription. Although CAMs could reduce HBc binding to cccDNA, it does not suppress cccDNA transcriptional activity. Thus, therapeutic targeting capsid or HBc is not sufficient to reduce cccDNA transcription.
2022-04-01 | GSE199653 | GEO
Project description:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) persists by depositing a covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in the nucleus of infected cells that cannot be targeted by available antivirals. Cytokine treatments can diminish HBV cccDNA via APOBEC3-mediated deamination. Here we show that overexpression of APOBEC3A alone, however, was not sufficient to reduce cccDNA in HBV-infected cells. This required addition of interferon indicating that cccDNA degradation requires an additional, interferon-stimulated gene (ISG). Transcriptome analyses identified ISG20 as the only type I and II interferon-induced, nucleus-resident protein with annotated nuclease activity. ISG20 expression was detected in human livers in acute, self-limiting but not in chronic hepatitis B. ISG20 depletion abolished the interferon-induced loss of cccDNA, and co-expression of ISG20 and APOBEC3A was sufficient to diminish cccDNA. In conclusion, non-cytolytic HBV cccDNA decline requires induction of a deaminase and nuclease. Our findings highlight that ISGs cooperate for their antiviral function and this cooperativity may be explored for therapeutic targeting.
2021-04-22 | PXD019285 | Pride
Project description:Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an incurable global health threat responsible for causing liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. During the genesis of infection, HBV establishes an independent minichromosome consisting of the viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) genome and host histones. The viral X gene must be expressed immediately upon infection to induce degradation of the host silencing factor, Smc5/6. However, the relationship between cccDNA chromatinization and X gene transcription remains poorly understood. Establishing a reconstituted viral minichromosome platform, we found that nucleosome occupancy in cccDNA drives X transcription. We corroborated these findings in cells and further showed that the chromatin destabilizing molecule CBL137 inhibits X transcription and HBV infection in hepatocytes. Our results shed light on a long-standing paradox and represent a potential new therapeutic avenue for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.
2024-06-19 | GSE270130 | GEO
Project description:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) persists by depositing a covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in the nucleus that cannot be targeted by available antivirals. Cytokine treatments can purge cccDNA from the nucleus of infected cells by APOBEC3-mediated deamination. cccDNA levels in HBV-infected cells were not reduced by overexpression of APOBEC3A alone, but only after simultaneous addition of interferon. This indicated the need of an additional, interferon-induced factor (ISG). Microarray analysis identified ISG20 as the only nuclease located to the nucleus induced by type I and II interferons. ISG20 was confirmed to be expressed in acute, self-limiting but not in chronic hepatitis B in human livers. ISG20 knockdown abolished the interferon-induced loss of cccDNA, and co-expression of ISG20 and APOBEC3A was sufficient to diminish cccDNA without further treatment. To conclude, nucleolar ISG20 was identified as the nuclease contributing to interferon-induced purging of HBV cccDNA, opening new avenues for antiviral targeting.
2020-07-22 | GSE134929 | GEO
Project description:Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an incurable global health threat responsible for causing liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. During the genesis of infection, HBV establishes an independent minichromosome consisting of the viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) genome and host histones. The viral X gene must be expressed immediately upon infection to induce degradation of the host silencing factor, Smc5/6. However, the relationship between cccDNA chromatinization and X gene transcription remains poorly understood. Establishing a reconstituted viral minichromosome platform, we found that nucleosome occupancy in cccDNA drives X transcription. We corroborated these findings in cells and further showed that the chromatin destabilizing molecule CBL137 inhibits X transcription and HBV infection in hepatocytes. Our results shed light on a long-standing paradox and represent a potential new therapeutic avenue for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.
2023-03-03 | GSE225715 | GEO
Project description:Full-length hepatitis B virus (HBV) transcripts of chimpanzees and patients treated with multidose (MD) HBV siRNA ARC-520 and entecavir (ETV) were characterized by single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing, identifying multiple types of transcripts with the potential to encode HBx, HBsAg, HBeAg, core, and polymerase, as well as transcripts likely to be derived from dimers of dslDNA, and these differed between HBeAg-positive (HBeAg+) and HBeAg-negative (HBeAg−) individuals. HBV transcripts from the last follow-up ~30 months post-ARC-520 treatment were categorized from one HBeAg+ (one of two previously highly viremic patients that became HBeAg− upon treatment and had greatly reduced cccDNA products) and four HBeAg− patients. The previously HBeAg+ patient received a biopsy that revealed that he had 3.4 copies/cell cccDNA (two to three orders of magnitude more cccDNA than HBeAg− chimpanzees) but expressed primarily truncated X and HBsAg from iDNA, like two patients that were HBeAg− at the start of the study and had one copy/cell cccDNA. No HBV transcripts were detected in two other HBeAg− patients that had ~0.3 copies/cell cccDNA, one of which had seroconverted for HBsAg. The paucity of cccDNA-derived transcripts in the presence of high cccDNA demonstrates the transcriptional silencing of HBV following MD siRNA treatment with ETV.
2024-12-17 | GSE279971 | GEO
Project description:Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a small DNA virus that replicates via an episomal covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) that serves as the transcriptional template for viral mRNAs. The host protein, CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), is a key regulator of cellular transcription by maintaining epigenetic boundaries, nucleosome phasing, stabilisation of long-range chromatin loops and directing alternative exon splicing. We previously reported that CTCF binds two conserved motifs within Enhancer I of the HBV genome and represses viral transcripts, however, the underlying mechanisms were not identified. We show that CTCF depletion in cells harbouring cccDNA-like HBV molecules and in de novo infected cells resulted in an increase in spliced transcripts, which was most notable in the abundant SP1 spliced transcript. In contrast, depletion of CTCF in cell lines with integrated HBV DNA had no effect on the abundance of viral transcripts and in line with this observation there was limited evidence for CTCF binding to viral integrants, suggesting that CTCF-regulation of HBV transcription is specific to episomal cccDNA. Analysis of HBV chromatin topology by Assay for Transposase Accessibility/sequencing (ATAC-Seq) revealed an accessible region spanning Enhancers I and II and the basal core promoter (BCP). Mutating the CTCF binding sites within Enhancer I resulted in a dramatic rearrangement of chromatin accessibility where the open chromatin region was no longer detected, indicating loss of the phased nucleosome up- and down- stream of the HBV enhancer/BCP. These data demonstrate that CTCF functions to regulate HBV chromatin conformation and nucleosomal positioning in episomal maintained cccDNA, which has important consequences for HBV transcription regulation.
2024-01-18 | GSE249278 | GEO
Project description:Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a small DNA virus that replicates via an episomal covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) that serves as the transcriptional template for viral mRNAs. The host protein, CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), is a key regulator of cellular transcription by maintaining epigenetic boundaries, nucleosome phasing, stabilisation of long-range chromatin loops and directing alternative exon splicing. We previously reported that CTCF binds two conserved motifs within Enhancer I of the HBV genome and represses viral transcripts, however, the underlying mechanisms were not identified. We show that CTCF depletion in cells harbouring cccDNA-like HBV molecules and in de novo infected cells resulted in an increase in spliced transcripts, which was most notable in the abundant SP1 spliced transcript. In contrast, depletion of CTCF in cell lines with integrated HBV DNA had no effect on the abundance of viral transcripts and in line with this observation there was limited evidence for CTCF binding to viral integrants, suggesting that CTCF-regulation of HBV transcription is specific to episomal cccDNA. Analysis of HBV chromatin topology by Assay for Transposase Accessibility/sequencing (ATAC-Seq) revealed an accessible region spanning Enhancers I and II and the basal core promoter (BCP). Mutating the CTCF binding sites within Enhancer I resulted in a dramatic rearrangement of chromatin accessibility where the open chromatin region was no longer detected, indicating loss of the phased nucleosome up- and down- stream of the HBV enhancer/BCP. These data demonstrate that CTCF functions to regulate HBV chromatin conformation and nucleosomal positioning in episomal maintained cccDNA, which has important consequences for HBV transcription regulation.
2024-01-18 | GSE248738 | GEO
Project description:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a risk of developing fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although HBV elimination requires complete elimination of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), its treatment has not been established. Interferon (IFN) -γ, a type ⅠⅠ IFN, is produced by intrahepatic cytotoxic T lymphocytes and has the noncytolytic antiviral potential. However, the mechanism by which IFN-γ regulates HBV infection in hepatocytes has not been fully elucidated. In this study, to replicate the HBV infection and monitor the amount of cccDNA, we developed an in vitro HBV infection assay system with primary hepatocytes and examined the molecules and signaling pathways. IFN-γ suppressed both HBV propagation and transcription to the same extent as IFN-α. RNA microarray analysis revealed that IFN-γ stimulation induced not only IFN-γ but also IFN-α signaling activation and regulated HBV cccDNA. Moreover, the HBV production was reduced by IFN-γ through JAK-STAT signaling and interferon stimulated genes such as OAS2 and APOBEC3G. Taken together, these results demonstrate that IFN-γ suppresses both HBV propagation and transcription by activating specific intracellular signaling pathways in hepatocytes and suggests the future application of this particular signaling pathways or genes for the complete elimination of HBV.
2019-10-01 | GSE132628 | GEO
Project description:Objective: Curing hepatitis B requires the complete elimination of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). Interferon (IFN)-γ is produced by cytotoxic T lymphocytes and has noncytolytic antiviral potential; however, elimination of cccDNA could not be achieved. To enhance the regulatory effect of IFN-γ, we comprehensively analyzed the host factors that associated with cccDNA amplification and IFN-γ effects using the in vitro HBV infection system that exhibits various transcription levels. Design: Primary human hepatocytes were infected with HBV using genomic plasmids carrying the basic core promoter 1762/1764 and/or the precore 1896 mutation and treated with IFN-γ, IFN-α, and entecavir. Comprehensive expression analysis and functional studies were performed to analyze the host factors related to the cccDNA regulation using RNA microarray and siRNA analysis. Results: HBV infection system accurately reproduced the HBV life cycle and exhibited various transcription levels. Microarray analysis revealed that 53 genes increased depending on the cccDNA levels. Of 53 genes, the expression of IFN-induced protein 44-like (IFI44L) was the most upregulated by IFN-γ and IFN-α but not entecavir, and associated with the anti-viral effects of IFN-γ. siRNA analysis revealed that IFI44L negatively regulates the innate immune response and IFN-γ function to suppress HBV transcription and propagation by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB and STAT1 pathways.
2020-12-12 | GSE163042 | GEO