E2F1 activates the human p53 promoter and overcomes the repressive effect of hepatitis B viral X protein (Hbx) on the p53 promoter

The functional effect of the interaction of E2F1 and hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) on the promoter of human p53 gene was studied using chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) assay. E2F1 activated the p53 promoter through E2F1 binding site. As previously reported, HBx repressed the p53 promoter through E-box. When E2F1 was cotransfected with HBx, E2F1 overcame the repressive effect of HBx on the p53 promoter through the E2F1 site. However, in the thymidine kinase (tk) heterologous promoter system with the E2F1 binding sites, cotransfection of E2F1 and HBx showed a strong synergistic activation. An in vitro interaction assay showed that E2F1 and HBx physically bind with each other. Analyses of the interaction domain with the GAL4 fusion protein showed that the pRb-binding domain of E2F1 was necessary for the functional interaction of these two proteins. Taken together, these results imply the functional inhibitory action of E2F1 on the HBV life cycle and HBV-mediated hepatocellular carcinogenesis (HCC). Therefore, the normal or enhanced function of E2F1 gene would be important in controlling the HBx function in HCC.     

Hepatitis B viral X protein overcomes inhibition of E2F1 activity by pRb on the human Rb gene promoter

Hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein is known as an oncogenic transactivator, E2F1 as a positive regulator of the cell cycle, and pRb as a tumor suppressor. Here, we investigated the functional interactions of these proteins on the human Rb promoter. Interestingly, HBx transactivated the Rb promoter cooperatively with E2F1 in HepG2 cells but not in HeLa cells, in which the functions of p53 and pRb are inactive. Combinatorial cotransfection analyses in HepG2 cells showed that HBx overcame the inhibition of E2F1 activity by pRb but not that by p53. Domain analysis showed that aa 47-70 and aa 117-133 of HBx are important for this effect. These results suggest that HBx could inhibit the pRb tumor suppressor and increase E2F1 activity. Our data support the oncogenic potential of HBx, which may cause HBV-infected cells to grow continuously in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.     

HBV影响XRN2基因在HepG2-H7细胞中表达的机制研究

目的利用稳定表达HBV的HepG2-H7细胞,研究HBV对XRN2基因表达的调控,并对其作用机制进行初步探讨。方法用RT—PCR和Real-time PCR的方法检测HepG2细胞及稳定表达HBV的HepG2-H7细胞中XRN2在mRNA水平的表达差异。构建XRN2启动子的萤火虫荧光素酶报告质粒,分别转染HepG2细胞及HepG2-H7细胞,检测HBV对XRN2启动子的影响。将XRN2启动子质粒与HBV4种蛋白的真核表达质粒共转染HepG2细胞,寻找对启动子影响较大的HBV蛋白。结果RT—PCR和Real-time PCR的结果显示XRN2在HepG2-H7细胞中的表达较HepG2细胞有所下降。荧光素酶活性分析显示HBV能抑制XRN2启动子的活性,且HBx和HBp蛋白在这一过程中起主要作用。结论HBV蛋白可以通过抑制XRN2启动子活性调节其在HepG2-H7细胞中的表达。     

HBx抑制IGFBP3转录的机制

【目的】在细胞水平上研究乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白(HBx)对胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白3(IGFBP3)转录的影响并对具体机制进行初步探索。【方法】首先采用RNA-Deep-Sequencing技术分析HepG2和乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)转基因细胞HepG2-4D14中表达差异的基因,然后通过实时定量PCR对相关基因进行验证;利用启动子报告基因分析,研究HBx对相关基因IGFBP3转录的调控;通过染色质免疫共沉淀方法,分析HBx抑制IGFBP3启动子活性的机制。【结果】RNA-Deep-Sequencing的结果表明IGFBP3在HBV转基因细胞HepG2-4D14中水平显著下调,实时定量PCR结果与RNA-Deep-Sequencing一致。进一步研究表明HBx能明显抑制IGFBP3的转录,通过实时定量PCR发现HBx对IGFBP3转录的抑制作用依赖于p53;染色质免疫共沉淀实验结果表明HBx能够通过抑制p53与IGFBP3启动子的结合,从而抑制IGFBP3的转录。IGFBP3是一种细胞周期负调控蛋白,我们推测HBx对IGFBP3水平的下调是其促进细胞增殖的途径之一。【结论】HBV能显著下调IGFBP3的转录,机制研究揭示HBV HBx通过干扰p53与IGFBP3启动子的结合进而抑制IGFBP3的转录。     

乙肝病毒X 蛋白通过CREB 上调HBx结合蛋白促进肝癌细胞迁移

乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白（hepatitis B virus X protein,HBx）对肝癌的发生发展具有十分重要的作用. HBx 具有促进肝癌迁移的作用,但其作用的分子机制不清. 本研究对 HBx 促进肝癌细胞迁移的分子机制进行了探讨. 伤口愈合和 Boyden’s chamber结果表明,HBx 可明显促进肝癌 HepG2 细胞迁移. 在稳定转染 HBx 的 HepG2（HepG2-X）细胞中转染 HBx 结合蛋白（hepatitis B X-interacting protein,HBXIP）的 RNA 干扰片段,可明显抑制 HBx 的促迁移作用. 免疫组化和实时定量 PCR 结果表明,HBXIP 在肝癌组织中显著高表达,并且与 HBx 表达成正相关. 荧光素酶报告基因和免疫印迹结果表明,HBx 显著增强 HBXIP 的启动子活性和蛋白质表达水平. 应用 HBx 的 RNA 干扰处理 HepG2-X 细胞,HBXIP 的启动子活性和蛋白质表达水平明显下降.将 HBXIP 启动子区的cAMP效应元件结合因子（CREB）结合位点突变后,HBx 上调 HBXIP 的作用消失. 应用 CREB 的 RNA 干扰处理肝癌细胞,在启动子水平和蛋白质水平上, HBx 对 HBXIP 的上调作用被显著抑制. 染色质免疫共沉淀结果表明,HBx 能够通过 CREB 结合到 HBXIP 的启动子上,进而发挥激活 HBXIP 的功能. 本研究结果表明,HBx 促进肝癌细胞迁移的作用是通过 CREB 上调 HBXIP 实现的. 这一发现对进一步揭示 HBx 促进肝癌细胞迁移的分子机制具有重要意义.     

Hepatitis B virus core protein stimulates the proteasome-mediated degradation of viral X protein

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (HBx) plays an essential role in viral replication and in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. HBx has the ability to transactivate the expression of all HBV proteins, including the viral core protein HBc. Consistent with its regulatory role, HBx is relatively unstable and is present at low levels in the cell. We report here that the level of HBx was significantly reduced by the coexpression of HBc in cultured human hepatoma cells, whereas the level of HBx mRNA was unaffected. The repression of HBx by HBc was relieved by treating cells with the proteasome inhibitor MG132, indicating that HBc acts by stimulating the proteasome-mediated degradation of HBx. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of HBc was specific to HBx and did not affect other proteins, including p53, a known target of the proteasome. Although no direct physical interaction between HBc and HBx could be demonstrated, mutational analysis indicated that the C-terminal half of HBc is responsible for its inhibitory effect. These results suggest that HBc functions as a novel regulator of the HBV life cycle and of hepatocellular carcinogenesis through control of the HBx level via an inhibitory feedback type of mechanism.     

Elevation of highly up-regulated in liver cancer (HULC) by hepatitis B virus X protein promotes hepatoma cell proliferation via down-regulating p18

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in human cancers. It has been reported that lncRNA highly up-regulated in liver cancer (HULC) is dramatically up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) contributes importantly to the development of HCC. However, the function of HULC in HCC mediated by HBx remains unclear. Here, we report that HULC is involved in HBx-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis. We found that the expression levels of HULC were positively correlated with those of HBx in clinical HCC tissues. Moreover, we revealed that HBx up-regulated HULC in human immortalized normal liver L-O2 cells and hepatoma HepG2 cells. Luciferase reporter gene assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay showed that HBx activated the HULC promoter via cAMP-responsive element-binding protein. We further demonstrated that HULC promoted cell proliferation by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, colony formation assay, and tumorigenicity assay. Next, we hypothesized that HULC might function through regulating a tumor suppressor gene p18 located near HULC in the same chromosome. We found that the mRNA levels of p18 were inversely correlated with those of HULC in the above clinical HCC specimens. Then, we validated that HULC down-regulated p18, which was involved in the HULC-enhanced cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we observed that knockdown of HULC could abolish the HBx-enhanced cell proliferation through up-regulating p18. Thus, we conclude that the up-regulated HULC by HBx promotes proliferation of hepatoma cells through suppressing p18. This finding provides new insight into the roles of lncRNAs in HBx-related hepatocarcinogenesis.     

HBV通过增强DNAJB4启动子活性调节其在HepG2．2．15细胞中的表达

目的初步探讨HBV与DNAJB4基因的转录调节作用机制。方法用RT-PCR及Real—timePCR检测HepG2．2．15细胞和HepG2细胞中DNAJB4在mRNA水平上的表达差异。构建DNAJB4启动子虫荧光素酶报告质粒,分别与HBV、HBs、HBp、HBc、HBx表达质粒共转染HepG2细胞,比较虫荧光素酶活性。结果在mRNA水平上,DNAJB4在HepG2．2．15细胞中的表达量是其在HepG2细胞中表达量的2．59倍,且二者有显著性差异（P〈0．01）。DNAJB4启动子虫荧光素酶报告质粒与HBV表达质粒共转染组的相对荧光素酶活性是其对照组的2．28倍。转染HBs和HBc表达质粒组的相对荧光素酶活性分别是其对照组的2．11倍和1．77倍,而HBx、HBp表达质粒对荧光素酶活性没有影响。结论在HepG2．2．15细胞中,HBV能通过增强DNAJB4启动子活性增加DNAJB4转录水平的表达,其中HBs和HBc蛋白起主要作用。