HBx expression activates RhoA GTPase: impact on cell migration

HBV (hepatitis B virus) remains a global health concern, especially in developing countries. It has been associated with the development of HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma). One of the four viral proteins, HBx, interacts with cellular proteins, which are involved in a series of cellular processes including cell migration. The Rho GTPases (guanine nucleotide triphosphatases) family of proteins is involved in the regulation of the reorganization of actin and cell migration. We have reported that HBV replication activates Rac1 through SH3 binding. Here, we reported that RhoA was activated by HBx in vitro. The cell motility was enhanced in HepG2 cells co-transfected with HBx and RhoA, compared with those transfected with RhoA alone. Our results were consistent with the recently reported role of RhoA in promoting cell motility and may provide new insights on the mechanism of HBV-associated HCC.     

Therapeutic inhibition of hepatitis B virus surface antigen expression by RNA interference

RNA interference (RNAi) mediated inhibition of virus-specific genes has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy against virus induced diseases. Human hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) has proven to be a significant risk factor in HBV induced liver diseases, and an increasing number of mutations in HBsAg are known to enhance the difficulty in therapeutic interventions. The key challenge for achieving effective gene silencing in particular for the purpose of the therapeutics is primarily based on the effectiveness and specificity of the RNAi targeting sequence. To explore the therapeutic potential of RNAi on HBV induced diseases in particular resulted from aberrant or persistent expression of HBsAg, we have especially screened and identified the most potent and specific RNAi targeting sequence that directly mediated inhibition of the HBsAg expression. Using an effective DNA vector-based shRNA expression system, we have screened 10 RNAi targeting sequences (HBsAg-1 to 10) that were chosen from HBsAg coding region, in particular the major S region, and have identified four targeting sequences that could mediate sequence specific inhibition of the HBsAg expression. Among these four shRNAs, an extremely potent and highly sequence specific HBsAg-3 shRNA was found to inhibit HBsAg expression in mouse HBV model. The inhibition was not only preventive in cotransfection experiments, but also had therapeutic effect as assessed by post-treatment protocols. Moreover, this HBsAg-3 shRNA also exhibited a great potency of inhibition in transgenic mice that constitutively expressed HBsAg. These results indicate that HBsAg-3 shRNA can be considered as a powerful therapeutic agent on HBsAg induced diseases.     

A hepatocellular carcinoma cell line producing mature hepatitis B viral particles

Current in vitro models for hepatitis B virus (HBV) are based on human hepatoblastoma cell lines transfected with HBV genome. The objective of this work was to develop an in vitro, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-based system supporting HBV full replication and producing mature viral particles. The FLC4 human HCC cell line was stably transfected with a plasmid carrying a head-to-tail dimer of the adwHBV genome. One of the clones, FLC4A10II, exhibited prolonged expression of HBV, as was demonstrated by secreted levels of HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV DNA in the culture medium of the growing cells. Furthermore, the cells produced HBV particles that were detected by a cesium chloride density gradient performed on the culture medium. Analysis by Southern blot revealed that HBV DNA has integrated into the FLC4A10II cell genome. The presence of HBV in the FLC4A10II cells did not cause alterations in cell morphology and the cells continued to resemble mature hepatocytes. They do exhibit a high mitotic activity. The new HBV stably transfected cell line, FLC4A10II, can serve as an important tool for further exploration of HBV host-pathogen interaction, viral life cycle, and for assessing new antiviral agents.     

63例慢性乙肝e抗原阴性HBV基因多态性检测结果报告

用地高辛标记引物酶显色法,检测了63例e抗原阴性慢性肝炎HBV基因多态性。结果突变率为53.9%(34/63)。前C/C区1896位突变率最高为49.2%(31/63),1814位38.1%(24/63);BCP区1762位、1764位均为39.7%(25/63),552位突变率为14.3%(9/63)。该检测方法灵敏度高,简便易行。严格控制杂交温度及显色温度是检测操作的关键。     

乙型肝炎病毒蛋白对纤维介素基因的激活作用

纤维介素基因（fgl2）在人和小鼠的重型肝炎的发病机制中发挥重要作用.为探讨乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）编码蛋白对人纤维介素基因（hfgl2）的激活作用, 构建了HBV编码蛋白C、 S和X的真核表达质粒pcDNA-HBc、pcDNA-HBs和pcDNA-HBx, 分别与hfgl2启动子荧光素酶报告基因质粒及β半乳糖苷酶基因质粒（βGal ）共转染到CHO细胞和HepG2 细胞, 采用免疫组织化学和免疫印记方法(Western blotting)鉴定病毒蛋白的表达.通过检测报告基因荧光素酶（LUC）及β半乳糖苷酶的表达活性, 反映病毒蛋白对hfgl2启动子的转录激活作用.结果显示, 转染了真核表达质粒的细胞均能瞬时表达相应的肝炎病毒蛋白, 在CHO细胞, 转染pcDNA-HB组和pcDNA-HBx组相对荧光素酶的活性是对照组的5.4和6倍, 在hepG2细胞, 转染pcDNA-HBc组和pcDNA-HBx组相对荧光素酶的活性是对照组的8.7和11倍.研究表明, CHO和HepG2细胞中表达的HBV C蛋白和X蛋白均具有激活hfgl2的功能, 而S蛋白则不能激活.进一步揭示了HBV病毒蛋白与宿主基因的相互作用机制.     

Development of HBsAg-Binding Aptamers that bind HepG2.2.15 cells via HBV surface antigen

Hepatitis B virus surface antigen(HBsAg),a specific antigen on the membrane of Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected cells,provides a perfect target for therapeutic drugs.The development of reagents with high affinity and specificity to the HBsAg is of great significance to the early-stage diagnosis and treatment of HBV infection.Herein,we report the selection of RNA aptamers that can specifically bind to HBsAg protein and HBsAg-positive hepatocytes.One high affinity aptamer,HBs-A22,was isolated from an initial ...     

A 40-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the constitutive promoter of MDM2 confers risk for hepatocellular carcinoma in a Chinese population

The pathogenesis of HCC is a multistage process with the involvement of genetic factors. The aim of the present study is to investigate the possible association between a 40-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism (indel) at constitutive promoter of MDM2 and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a Chinese population. Using 420 HCC patients and 423 control subjects, we genotyped the indel polymorphism (rs3730485) using polymerase chain reaction method. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the polymorphism and HCC susceptibility. Under co-dominant model, we found that the ins/del and del/del genotype of indel was associated with a significantly increased risk of HCC compared with its homozygote ins/ins (OR=1.39, 95%C.I.=1.03-1.87; OR=1.68, 95%C.I.=1.03-2.73, respectively). Presence of 40-bp deletion allele of MDM2 seemed to confer higher risk for HCC when compared with non-carriers (OR=1.30, 95%C.I.=1.06-1.60, P=0.011). Further stratification analysis showed that this association was more pronounced in patients with a family history of HCC, early tumor stage and higher serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). These findings indicated that the MDM2 indel polymorphism may be a genetic modifier for developing HCC in Chinese population.     

Protein-encapsulated bio-nanocapsules production with ER membrane localization sequences

Bio-nanocapsules (BNCs) are hollow nanoparticles composed of the L protein of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg), which can specifically introduce genes and drugs into various kinds of target cells. Although the classic electroporation method has typically been used to introduce highly charged molecules such as DNA, it is rarely adopted for proteins due to its very low efficiency. In this study, a novel approach to the preparation of BNC was established whereby a target protein was pre-encapsulated during the course of nanoparticle formation. Briefly, because of the process of BNC formation in a budding manner on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, the association of target proteins to the ER membrane with lipidation sequences (ER membrane localization sequences) could directly generate protein-encapsulating BNC in collaboration with co-expression of the L proteins. Since the membrane-localized proteins are automatically enveloped into BNCs during the budding event, this method can be protect the proteins and BNCs from damage caused by electroporation and obviate the need for laborious consideration to study the optimal conditions for protein encapsulation. This approach would be a useful method for encapsulating therapeutic candidate proteins into BNCs.     

乙肝相关性肝癌差异表达基因的获得及FOLR1分析

运用基因芯片技术获取以稳定转染HBx基因的肝癌细胞HepG2(HepG2-X)及非转染的肝癌细胞HepG2中差异表达的基因,并对其中一条基因进行的生物信息学分析。采用人肝癌G2细胞(HepG2)细胞系为对照组,以稳定转染HBx的HepG2细胞为实验组,抽取总RNA,经过反转录cDNA,对照组用Cy3实验组用Cy5荧光标记,获得cDNA探针;经杂交、洗涤后,通过ImaGene3.0软件进行分析统计。通过基因芯片筛选,获得643条与乙肝相关性肝细胞性癌相关的基因,其中FOLR1基因差异性表达最显著,HBx显著下调其表达,同源性比较分析结果表明,其碱基序列与已经报道的其他12种哺乳动物的相似率为67%-99%,且符合种属之间的进化关系。基因芯片筛选HBx诱导的HepG2差异表达基因具有样品用量少,高质量,高速度,高敏感等特性。FOLR1可能为HBV相关肝癌的发生、转移的诊断、靶基因治疗和预后评估提供一定的依据。     

联合应用siRNA和拉米夫定抑制HBV复制和表达的实验研究

观察联合应用小干扰RNA和拉米夫定对HepG2.2.15细胞中HBV抗原表达和复制的抑制作用。构建并转染重组质粒psil-HBV到HepG2.2.15细胞中。转染后的细胞培养基中加入拉米夫定(0.05μm),分别于48、72、96 h收获细胞。用ELISA方法检测HBeAg和HBsAg;HBV DNA水平用实时定量PCR测定;用逆转录PCR检测HBV mRNA水平。96 h后联合应用小干扰RNA和拉米夫定组细胞培养上清中HBeAg和HBsAg抑制率分别为91.8%和82.4%(P<0.05);HBV mRNA表达水平明显降低。HepG2.2.15细胞中联合应用小干扰RNA和拉米夫定对HBV复制的抑制作用比单独应用siRNA或拉米夫定更有效。