1
|
Carpentier A. Cell Culture Models for Hepatitis B and D Viruses Infection: Old Challenges, New Developments and Future Strategies. Viruses 2024; 16:716. [PMID: 38793598 PMCID: PMC11125795 DOI: 10.3390/v16050716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic Hepatitis B and D Virus (HBV and HDV) co-infection is responsible for the most severe form of viral Hepatitis, the Hepatitis Delta. Despite an efficient vaccine against HBV, the HBV/HDV infection remains a global health burden. Notably, no efficient curative treatment exists against any of these viruses. While physiologically distinct, HBV and HDV life cycles are closely linked. HDV is a deficient virus that relies on HBV to fulfil is viral cycle. As a result, the cellular response to HDV also influences HBV replication. In vitro studying of HBV and HDV infection and co-infection rely on various cell culture models that differ greatly in terms of biological relevance and amenability to classical virology experiments. Here, we review the various cell culture models available to scientists to decipher HBV and HDV virology and host-pathogen interactions. We discuss their relevance and how they may help address the remaining questions, with one objective in mind: the development of new therapeutic approaches allowing viral clearance in patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Carpentier
- Institute for Experimental Virology, TWINCORE Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between Hannover Medical School (MHH) and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
- Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
von Delft A, Hall MD, Kwong AD, Purcell LA, Saikatendu KS, Schmitz U, Tallarico JA, Lee AA. Accelerating antiviral drug discovery: lessons from COVID-19. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:585-603. [PMID: 37173515 PMCID: PMC10176316 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00692-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a wave of rapid and collaborative drug discovery efforts took place in academia and industry, culminating in several therapeutics being discovered, approved and deployed in a 2-year time frame. This article summarizes the collective experience of several pharmaceutical companies and academic collaborations that were active in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antiviral discovery. We outline our opinions and experiences on key stages in the small-molecule drug discovery process: target selection, medicinal chemistry, antiviral assays, animal efficacy and attempts to pre-empt resistance. We propose strategies that could accelerate future efforts and argue that a key bottleneck is the lack of quality chemical probes around understudied viral targets, which would serve as a starting point for drug discovery. Considering the small size of the viral proteome, comprehensively building an arsenal of probes for proteins in viruses of pandemic concern is a worthwhile and tractable challenge for the community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annette von Delft
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, National Institute for Health Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Matthew D Hall
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Alpha A Lee
- PostEra, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rotella DP. Successes in antiviral drug discovery: a tribute to Nick Meanwell. Med Chem Res 2023; 32:1-10. [PMID: 37362321 PMCID: PMC10249547 DOI: 10.1007/s00044-023-03086-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Drug discovery is a difficult task, and is even more challenging when the target evolves during therapy. Antiviral drug therapy is an excellent example, exemplified by the evolution of therapeutic approaches for treatment of hepatitis C and HIV-1. Nick Meanwell and his colleagues made important contributions leading to molecules for treatment of hepatitis C and HIV-1, each with distinct mechanisms of action. This review summarizes the discovery and impact of these drugs, and will highlight, where applicable, the broader contributions of these discoveries to medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David P. Rotella
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Sokol Institute of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043 USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Predictive validity in drug discovery: what it is, why it matters and how to improve it. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2022; 21:915-931. [PMID: 36195754 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00552-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Successful drug discovery is like finding oases of safety and efficacy in chemical and biological deserts. Screens in disease models, and other decision tools used in drug research and development (R&D), point towards oases when they score therapeutic candidates in a way that correlates with clinical utility in humans. Otherwise, they probably lead in the wrong direction. This line of thought can be quantified by using decision theory, in which 'predictive validity' is the correlation coefficient between the output of a decision tool and clinical utility across therapeutic candidates. Analyses based on this approach reveal that the detectability of good candidates is extremely sensitive to predictive validity, because the deserts are big and oases small. Both history and decision theory suggest that predictive validity is under-managed in drug R&D, not least because it is so hard to measure before projects succeed or fail later in the process. This article explains the influence of predictive validity on R&D productivity and discusses methods to evaluate and improve it, with the aim of supporting the application of more effective decision tools and catalysing investment in their creation.
Collapse
|
5
|
Zitzmann C, Dächert C, Schmid B, van der Schaar H, van Hemert M, Perelson AS, van Kuppeveld FJ, Bartenschlager R, Binder M, Kaderali L. Mathematical modeling of plus-strand RNA virus replication to identify broad-spectrum antiviral treatment strategies. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.07.25.501353. [PMID: 35923314 PMCID: PMC9347285 DOI: 10.1101/2022.07.25.501353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Plus-strand RNA viruses are the largest group of viruses. Many are human pathogens that inflict a socio-economic burden. Interestingly, plus-strand RNA viruses share remarkable similarities in their replication. A hallmark of plus-strand RNA viruses is the remodeling of intracellular membranes to establish replication organelles (so-called "replication factories"), which provide a protected environment for the replicase complex, consisting of the viral genome and proteins necessary for viral RNA synthesis. In the current study, we investigate pan-viral similarities and virus-specific differences in the life cycle of this highly relevant group of viruses. We first measured the kinetics of viral RNA, viral protein, and infectious virus particle production of hepatitis C virus (HCV), dengue virus (DENV), and coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) in the immuno-compromised Huh7 cell line and thus without perturbations by an intrinsic immune response. Based on these measurements, we developed a detailed mathematical model of the replication of HCV, DENV, and CVB3 and show that only small virus-specific changes in the model were necessary to describe the in vitro dynamics of the different viruses. Our model correctly predicted virus-specific mechanisms such as host cell translation shut off and different kinetics of replication organelles. Further, our model suggests that the ability to suppress or shut down host cell mRNA translation may be a key factor for in vitro replication efficiency which may determine acute self-limited or chronic infection. We further analyzed potential broad-spectrum antiviral treatment options in silico and found that targeting viral RNA translation, especially polyprotein cleavage, and viral RNA synthesis may be the most promising drug targets for all plus-strand RNA viruses. Moreover, we found that targeting only the formation of replicase complexes did not stop the viral replication in vitro early in infection, while inhibiting intracellular trafficking processes may even lead to amplified viral growth. Author summary Plus-strand RNA viruses comprise a large group of related and medically relevant viruses. The current global pandemic of COVID-19 caused by the SARS-coronavirus-2 as well as the constant spread of diseases such as dengue and chikungunya fever show the necessity of a comprehensive and precise analysis of plus-strand RNA virus infections. Plus-strand RNA viruses share similarities in their life cycle. To understand their within-host replication strategies, we developed a mathematical model that studies pan-viral similarities and virus-specific differences of three plus-strand RNA viruses, namely hepatitis C, dengue, and coxsackievirus. By fitting our model to in vitro data, we found that only small virus-specific variations in the model were required to describe the dynamics of all three viruses. Furthermore, our model predicted that ribosomes involved in viral RNA translation seem to be a key player in plus-strand RNA replication efficiency, which may determine acute or chronic infection outcome. Furthermore, our in-silico drug treatment analysis suggests that targeting viral proteases involved in polyprotein cleavage, in combination with viral RNA replication, may represent promising drug targets with broad-spectrum antiviral activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Zitzmann
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Christopher Dächert
- Research Group “Dynamics of Early Viral Infection and the Innate Antiviral Response”, Division Virus-Associated Carcinogenesis (F170), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bianca Schmid
- Dept of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hilde van der Schaar
- Division of infectious Diseases and Immunology, Virology Section, Dept of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn van Hemert
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Alan S. Perelson
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Frank J.M. van Kuppeveld
- Division of infectious Diseases and Immunology, Virology Section, Dept of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ralf Bartenschlager
- Division Virus-Associated Carcinogenesis (F170), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Dept of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Heidelberg partner site, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marco Binder
- Research Group “Dynamics of Early Viral Infection and the Innate Antiviral Response”, Division Virus-Associated Carcinogenesis (F170), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lars Kaderali
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hamdy J, Emadeldin N, Hamed MM, Frakolaki E, Katsamakas S, Vassilaki N, Zoidis G, Hirsch AKH, Abdel-Halim M, Abadi AH. Design and Synthesis of Novel Bis-Imidazolyl Phenyl Butadiyne Derivatives as HCV NS5A Inhibitors. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:632. [PMID: 35631457 PMCID: PMC9146377 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In today’s global plan to completely eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV), the essential list of medications used for HCV treatment are direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), as interferon-sparing regimens have become the standard-of-care (SOC) treatment. HCV nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) inhibitors are a very common component of these regimens. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved NS5A inhibitors, although very potent, do not have the same potency against all eight genotypes of HCV. Therefore, this study aims to synthesize NS5A inhibitor analogues with high potency pan-genotypic activity and high metabolic stability. Starting from an NS5A inhibitor scaffold previously identified by our research group, we made several modifications. Two series of compounds were created to test the effect of changing the length and spatial conformation (para-para vs. meta-meta-positioned bis-imidazole-proline-carbamate), replacing amide groups in the linker with imidazole groups, as well as different end-cap compositions and sizes. The frontrunner inhibits genotype 1b (Con1) replicon, with an EC50 value in the picomolar range, and showed high genotypic coverage with nanomolar range EC50 values against four more genotypes. This together with its high metabolic stability (t½ > 120 min) makes it a potential preclinical candidate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jehad Hamdy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
| | - Nouran Emadeldin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
| | - Mostafa M. Hamed
- Drug Design and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)—Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus E8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (M.M.H.); (A.K.H.H.)
| | - Efseveia Frakolaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece; (E.F.); (N.V.)
| | - Sotirios Katsamakas
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece;
| | - Niki Vassilaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece; (E.F.); (N.V.)
| | - Grigoris Zoidis
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece;
| | - Anna K. H. Hirsch
- Drug Design and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)—Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus E8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (M.M.H.); (A.K.H.H.)
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus E8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Mohammad Abdel-Halim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
| | - Ashraf H. Abadi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Leumi S, El Kassas M, Zhong J. Hepatitis C virus genotype 4: A poorly characterized endemic genotype. J Med Virol 2021; 93:6079-6088. [PMID: 34185316 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Globally, 13% of all hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are caused by genotype 4 (GT4), which consists of 17 subtypes with various levels of susceptibility to anti-HCV therapy. This genotype is endemic in the Middle East and Africa and has considerably spread to Europe lately. The molecular features of HCV-GT4 infection, as well as its appropriate therapeutics, are poorly characterized as it has not been the subject of widespread basic research. As such, in this review, we aim to gather the current state of knowledge of this genotype with a particular emphasis on its heterogeneity, sequence signatures, resistance-associated substitutions, and available in vivo and in vitro models used for its study. We urge developing more cell-culture models based on different GT4 subtypes to better understand the virology and therapeutic response of this particular genotype. This review may raise more awareness about this genotype and trigger more basic research work to develop its research tools. This will be critical to design better therapeutics and help to provide adequate guidelines for physicians working with HCV-GT4 patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steve Leumi
- Unit of Viral Hepatitis, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mohamed El Kassas
- Department of Endemic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Jin Zhong
- Unit of Viral Hepatitis, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Tenge VR, Murakami K, Salmen W, Lin SC, Crawford SE, Neill FH, Prasad BVV, Atmar RL, Estes MK. Bile Goes Viral. Viruses 2021; 13:998. [PMID: 34071855 PMCID: PMC8227374 DOI: 10.3390/v13060998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Laboratory cultivation of viruses is critical for determining requirements for viral replication, developing detection methods, identifying drug targets, and developing antivirals. Several viruses have a history of recalcitrance towards robust replication in laboratory cell lines, including human noroviruses and hepatitis B and C viruses. These viruses have tropism for tissue components of the enterohepatic circulation system: the intestine and liver, respectively. The purpose of this review is to discuss how key enterohepatic signaling molecules, bile acids (BAs), and BA receptors are involved in the replication of these viruses and how manipulation of these factors was useful in the development and/or optimization of culture systems for these viruses. BAs have replication-promoting activities through several key mechanisms: (1) affecting cellular uptake, membrane lipid composition, and endocytic acidification; (2) directly interacting with viral capsids to influence binding to cells; and (3) modulating the innate immune response. Additionally, expression of the Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide BA receptor in continuous liver cell lines is critical for hepatitis B virus entry and robust replication in laboratory culture. Viruses are capable of hijacking normal cellular functions, and understanding the role of BAs and BA receptors, components of the enterohepatic system, is valuable for expanding our knowledge on the mechanisms of norovirus and hepatitis B and C virus replication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria R. Tenge
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (V.R.T.); (W.S.); (S.-C.L.); (S.E.C.); (F.H.N.); (B.V.V.P.); (R.L.A.)
| | - Kosuke Murakami
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashi-Murayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan;
| | - Wilhelm Salmen
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (V.R.T.); (W.S.); (S.-C.L.); (S.E.C.); (F.H.N.); (B.V.V.P.); (R.L.A.)
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shih-Ching Lin
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (V.R.T.); (W.S.); (S.-C.L.); (S.E.C.); (F.H.N.); (B.V.V.P.); (R.L.A.)
| | - Sue E. Crawford
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (V.R.T.); (W.S.); (S.-C.L.); (S.E.C.); (F.H.N.); (B.V.V.P.); (R.L.A.)
| | - Frederick H. Neill
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (V.R.T.); (W.S.); (S.-C.L.); (S.E.C.); (F.H.N.); (B.V.V.P.); (R.L.A.)
| | - B. V. Venkataram Prasad
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (V.R.T.); (W.S.); (S.-C.L.); (S.E.C.); (F.H.N.); (B.V.V.P.); (R.L.A.)
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Robert L. Atmar
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (V.R.T.); (W.S.); (S.-C.L.); (S.E.C.); (F.H.N.); (B.V.V.P.); (R.L.A.)
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mary K. Estes
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (V.R.T.); (W.S.); (S.-C.L.); (S.E.C.); (F.H.N.); (B.V.V.P.); (R.L.A.)
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Meanwell
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Early Development, P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-4000, United States
| | - Gunda I Georg
- College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, United States
| | - Shaomeng Wang
- University of Michigan, Departments of Internal Medicine, Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry and Michigan Center for Therapeutic Innovation, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Cheng
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marc G Ghany
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abdel Karim SE, Youssef YH, Abdel-Halim M, Frakolaki E, Vassilaki N, Zoidis G, Ahmed NS, Abadi AH. Symmetric benzidine derivatives as anti-HCV agents: Insight into the nature, stereochemistry of the capping amino acid and the size of the terminal capping carbamates. Bioorg Chem 2020; 102:104089. [PMID: 32717691 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Novel symmetric molecules, bearing a benzidine prolinamide core, two terminal carbamate caps of variable sizes and nature, including natural and unnatural amino acids were developed. Several terminal N-carbamate substituents of the core structure, ranging from linear methyl, ethyl and butyl groups to branching isobutyl group; and an aromatic substituent were also synthesized. Series 1 has hydrophobic AA residues, namely S and R phenylglycine and a terminal carbamate capping group, whereas Series 2 bears sulphur containing amino acids, specifically S and R methionine and the natural R methylcysteine. The novel compounds were tested for their inhibitory activity (EC50) and their cytotoxicity (CC50), using an HCV 1b (Con1) reporter replicon cell line. Compound 4 with the unnatural capping residue, bearing d-Phenylglycine amino acid residue and N-isobutyloxycarbonyl capping group, was the most active within the two series, with EC50 = 0.0067 nM. Moreover, it showed high SI50 > 14788524 and was not cytotoxic at the highest tested concentration (100 μΜ), indicating its safety profile. Compound 4 also inhibited HCV genotypes 2a, 3a and 4a. Compared to the clinically approved NS5A inhibitor Daclatasvir, compound 4 shows higher activity against genotypes 1b and 3a, as well as improved safety profile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shereen E Abdel Karim
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Youssef H Youssef
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohammad Abdel-Halim
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Efseveia Frakolaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece
| | - Niki Vassilaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece
| | - Grigoris Zoidis
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR-15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Nermin S Ahmed
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ashraf H Abadi
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kok F, Rosenblatt M, Teusel M, Nizharadze T, Gonçalves Magalhães V, Dächert C, Maiwald T, Vlasov A, Wäsch M, Tyufekchieva S, Hoffmann K, Damm G, Seehofer D, Boettler T, Binder M, Timmer J, Schilling M, Klingmüller U. Disentangling molecular mechanisms regulating sensitization of interferon alpha signal transduction. Mol Syst Biol 2020; 16:e8955. [PMID: 32696599 PMCID: PMC7373899 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20198955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tightly interlinked feedback regulators control the dynamics of intracellular responses elicited by the activation of signal transduction pathways. Interferon alpha (IFNα) orchestrates antiviral responses in hepatocytes, yet mechanisms that define pathway sensitization in response to prestimulation with different IFNα doses remained unresolved. We establish, based on quantitative measurements obtained for the hepatoma cell line Huh7.5, an ordinary differential equation model for IFNα signal transduction that comprises the feedback regulators STAT1, STAT2, IRF9, USP18, SOCS1, SOCS3, and IRF2. The model-based analysis shows that, mediated by the signaling proteins STAT2 and IRF9, prestimulation with a low IFNα dose hypersensitizes the pathway. In contrast, prestimulation with a high dose of IFNα leads to a dose-dependent desensitization, mediated by the negative regulators USP18 and SOCS1 that act at the receptor. The analysis of basal protein abundance in primary human hepatocytes reveals high heterogeneity in patient-specific amounts of STAT1, STAT2, IRF9, and USP18. The mathematical modeling approach shows that the basal amount of USP18 determines patient-specific pathway desensitization, while the abundance of STAT2 predicts the patient-specific IFNα signal response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frédérique Kok
- Division Systems Biology of Signal TransductionGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
- Faculty of BiosciencesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Marcus Rosenblatt
- Institute of PhysicsUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- FDM ‐ Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and ModelingUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Melissa Teusel
- Division Systems Biology of Signal TransductionGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
- Faculty of BiosciencesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Tamar Nizharadze
- Division Systems Biology of Signal TransductionGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
- Faculty of BiosciencesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Vladimir Gonçalves Magalhães
- Research Group “Dynamics of Early Viral Infection and the Innate Antiviral Response”Division Virus‐Associated CarcinogenesisGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Christopher Dächert
- Faculty of BiosciencesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- Research Group “Dynamics of Early Viral Infection and the Innate Antiviral Response”Division Virus‐Associated CarcinogenesisGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Tim Maiwald
- Institute of PhysicsUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Artyom Vlasov
- Division Systems Biology of Signal TransductionGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
- Faculty of BiosciencesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Marvin Wäsch
- Division Systems Biology of Signal TransductionGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Silvana Tyufekchieva
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation SurgeryRuprecht Karls University HeidelbergHeidelbergGermany
| | - Katrin Hoffmann
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation SurgeryRuprecht Karls University HeidelbergHeidelbergGermany
| | - Georg Damm
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Visceral TransplantationUniversity of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Daniel Seehofer
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Visceral TransplantationUniversity of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Tobias Boettler
- Department of Medicine IIUniversity Hospital Freiburg—Faculty of MedicineUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Marco Binder
- Research Group “Dynamics of Early Viral Infection and the Innate Antiviral Response”Division Virus‐Associated CarcinogenesisGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Jens Timmer
- Institute of PhysicsUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- FDM ‐ Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and ModelingUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSSUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Center for Biological Systems Analysis (ZBSA)University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Marcel Schilling
- Division Systems Biology of Signal TransductionGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Ursula Klingmüller
- Division Systems Biology of Signal TransductionGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Duncan JD, Urbanowicz RA, Tarr AW, Ball JK. Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine: Challenges and Prospects. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8010090. [PMID: 32079254 PMCID: PMC7157504 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8010090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes both acute and chronic infection and continues to be a global problem despite advances in antiviral therapeutics. Current treatments fail to prevent reinfection and remain expensive, limiting their use to developed countries, and the asymptomatic nature of acute infection can result in individuals not receiving treatment and unknowingly spreading HCV. A prophylactic vaccine is therefore needed to control this virus. Thirty years since the discovery of HCV, there have been major gains in understanding the molecular biology and elucidating the immunological mechanisms that underpin spontaneous viral clearance, aiding rational vaccine design. This review discusses the challenges facing HCV vaccine design and the most recent and promising candidates being investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D. Duncan
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK; (R.A.U.); (A.W.T.); (J.K.B.)
- NIHR Nottingham BRC, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
- Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Richard A. Urbanowicz
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK; (R.A.U.); (A.W.T.); (J.K.B.)
- NIHR Nottingham BRC, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
- Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Alexander W. Tarr
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK; (R.A.U.); (A.W.T.); (J.K.B.)
- NIHR Nottingham BRC, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
- Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Jonathan K. Ball
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK; (R.A.U.); (A.W.T.); (J.K.B.)
- NIHR Nottingham BRC, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
- Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Dächert C, Gladilin E, Binder M. Gene Expression Profiling of Different Huh7 Variants Reveals Novel Hepatitis C Virus Host Factors. Viruses 2019; 12:v12010036. [PMID: 31905685 PMCID: PMC7019296 DOI: 10.3390/v12010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection still constitutes a major global health problem with almost half a million deaths per year. To date, the human hepatoma cell line Huh7 and its derivatives is the only cell line that robustly replicates HCV. However, even different subclones and passages of this single cell line exhibit tremendous differences in HCV replication efficiency. By comparative gene expression profiling using a multi-pronged correlation analysis across eight different Huh7 variants, we identified 34 candidate host factors possibly affecting HCV permissiveness. For seven of the candidates, we could show by knock-down studies their implication in HCV replication. Notably, for at least four of them, we furthermore found that overexpression boosted HCV replication in lowly permissive Huh7 cells, most prominently for the histone-binding transcriptional repressor THAP7 and the nuclear receptor NR0B2. For NR0B2, our results suggest a finely balanced expression optimum reached in highly permissive Huh7 cells, with even higher levels leading to a nearly complete breakdown of HCV replication, likely due to a dysregulation of bile acid and cholesterol metabolism. Our unbiased expression-profiling approach, hence, led to the identification of four host cellular genes that contribute to HCV permissiveness in Huh7 cells. These findings add to an improved understanding of the molecular underpinnings of the strict host cell tropism of HCV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Dächert
- Research Group “Dynamics of Early Viral Infection and the Innate Antiviral Response”, Division Virus-associated Carcinogenesis (F170), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Evgeny Gladilin
- Division Bioinformatics and Omics Data Analytics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- BioQuant, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marco Binder
- Research Group “Dynamics of Early Viral Infection and the Innate Antiviral Response”, Division Virus-associated Carcinogenesis (F170), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-622-142-4974
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Fonseca JP, Bonny AR, Kumar GR, Ng AH, Town J, Wu QC, Aslankoohi E, Chen SY, Dods G, Harrigan P, Osimiri LC, Kistler AL, El-Samad H. A Toolkit for Rapid Modular Construction of Biological Circuits in Mammalian Cells. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:2593-2606. [PMID: 31686495 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The ability to rapidly assemble and prototype cellular circuits is vital for biological research and its applications in biotechnology and medicine. Current methods for the assembly of mammalian DNA circuits are laborious, slow, and expensive. Here we present the Mammalian ToolKit (MTK), a Golden Gate-based cloning toolkit for fast, reproducible, and versatile assembly of large DNA vectors and their implementation in mammalian models. The MTK consists of a curated library of characterized, modular parts that can be assembled into transcriptional units and further weaved into complex circuits. We showcase the capabilities of the MTK by using it to generate single-integration landing pads, create and deliver libraries of protein variants and sgRNAs, and iterate through dCas9-based prototype circuits. As a biological proof of concept, we demonstrate how the MTK can speed the generation of noninfectious viral circuits to enable rapid testing of pharmacological inhibitors of emerging viruses that pose a major threat to human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João Pedro Fonseca
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Alain R. Bonny
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - G. Renuka Kumar
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Andrew H. Ng
- Cell Design Initiative, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Jason Town
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Qiu Chang Wu
- Harvard Systems Biology Graduate Program, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Elham Aslankoohi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Susan Y. Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Galen Dods
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Patrick Harrigan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Lindsey C. Osimiri
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- The UC Berkeley−UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94132, United States
| | - Amy L. Kistler
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Hana El-Samad
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Sofia MJ. The Discovery and Development of Daclatasvir: An Inhibitor of the Hepatitis C Virus NS5A Replication Complex. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [PMCID: PMC7122418 DOI: 10.1007/7355_2018_47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
|
17
|
Heterogeneity and coexistence of oncogenic mechanisms involved in HCV-associated B-cell lymphomas. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2019; 138:156-171. [PMID: 31092372 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The association of HCV-infection with B-lymphomas is supported by the regression of most indolent/low-grade lymphomas following anti-viral therapy. Studies on direct and indirect oncogenic mechanisms have elucidated the pathogenesis of HCV-associated B-lymphoma subtypes. These include B-lymphocyte proliferation and sustained clonal expansion by HCV-envelope protein stimulation of B-cell receptors, and prolonged HCV-infected B-cell growth by overexpression of an anti-apoptotic BCL-2 oncogene caused by the increased frequency of t(14;18) chromosomal translocations in follicular lymphomas. HCV has been implicated in lymphomagenesis by a "hit-and-run" mechanism, inducing enhanced mutation rate in immunoglobulins and anti-oncogenes favoring immune escape, due to permanent genetic damage by double-strand DNA-breaks. More direct oncogenic mechanisms have been identified in cytokines and chemokines in relation to NS3 and Core expression, particularly in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. By reviewing genetic alterations and disrupted signaling pathways, we intend to highlight how mutually non-contrasting mechanisms cooperate with environmental factors toward progression of HCV-lymphoma.
Collapse
|
18
|
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a peculiar member of the Flaviviridae family, with features in between an enveloped virus and a human lipoprotein and, consequently, unusual biophysical properties that made its production and purification rather challenging.Here we describe methods to generate HCV stocks in cell culture by electroporating in vitro transcribed viral RNA into permissive cell lines as well as downstream concentration and purification strategies.
Collapse
|
19
|
Hepatitis C virus cell culture models: an encomium on basic research paving the road to therapy development. Med Microbiol Immunol 2018; 208:3-24. [PMID: 30298360 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-018-0566-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections affect 71 million people worldwide, often resulting in severe liver damage. Since 2014 highly efficient therapies based on directly acting antivirals (DAAs) are available, offering cure rates of almost 100%, if the infection is diagnosed in time. It took more than a decade to discover HCV in 1989 and another decade to establish a cell culture model. This review provides a personal view on the importance of HCV cell culture models, particularly the replicon system, in the process of therapy development, from drug screening to understanding of mode of action and resistance, with a special emphasis on the contributions of Ralf Bartenschlager's group. It summarizes the tremendous efforts of scientists in academia and industry required to achieve efficient DAAs, focusing on the main targets, protease, polymerase and NS5A. It furthermore underpins the importance of strong basic research laying the ground for translational medicine.
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
Successful viral infection, as well as any resultant antiviral response, relies on numerous sequential interactions between host and viral factors. These interactions can take the form of affinity-based interactions between viral and host macromolecules or active, enzyme-based interactions, consisting both of direct enzyme activity performed by viral enzymes and indirect modulation of the activity of the host cell's enzymes via viral interference. This activity has the potential to transform the local microenvironment to the benefit or detriment of both the virus and the host, favouring either the continuation of the viral life cycle or the host's antiviral response. Comprehensive characterisation of enzymatic activity during viral infection is therefore necessary for the understanding of virally induced diseases. Activity-based protein profiling techniques have been established as effective and practicable tools with which to interrogate the regulation of enzymes' catalytic activity and the roles played by these enzymes in various cell processes. This paper will review the contributions of these techniques in characterising the roles of both host and viral enzymes during viral infection in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin F. Cravatt
- grid.214007.00000000122199231Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Ku-Lung Hsu
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA USA
| | - Eranthie Weerapana
- grid.208226.c0000 0004 0444 7053Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ramirez S, Bukh J. Current status and future development of infectious cell-culture models for the major genotypes of hepatitis C virus: Essential tools in testing of antivirals and emerging vaccine strategies. Antiviral Res 2018; 158:264-287. [PMID: 30059723 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we summarize the relevant scientific advances that led to the development of infectious cell culture systems for hepatitis C virus (HCV) with the corresponding challenges and successes. We also provide an overview of how these systems have contributed to the study of antiviral compounds and their relevance for the development of a much-needed vaccine against this major human pathogen. An efficient infectious system to study HCV in vitro, using human hepatoma derived cells, has only been available since 2005, and was limited to a single isolate, named JFH1, until 2012. Successive developments have been slow and cumbersome, as each available system has been the result of a systematic effort for discovering adaptive mutations conferring culture replication and propagation to patient consensus clones that are inherently non-viable in vitro. High genetic heterogeneity is a paramount characteristic of this virus, and as such, it should preferably be reflected in basic, translational, and clinical studies. The limited number of efficient viral culture systems, in the context of the vast genetic diversity of HCV, continues to represent a major hindrance for the study of this virus, posing a significant barrier towards studies of antivirals (particularly of resistance) and for advancing vaccine development. Intensive research efforts, driven by isolate-specific culture adaptation, have only led to efficient full-length infectious culture systems for a few strains of HCV genotypes 1, 2, 3, and 6. Hence research aimed at identifying novel strategies that will permit universal culture of HCV will be needed to further our understanding of this unique virus causing 400 thousand deaths annually.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Santseharay Ramirez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Humes D, Ramirez S, Jensen TB, Li YP, Gottwein JM, Bukh J. Recombinant hepatitis C virus genotype 5a infectious cell culture systems expressing minimal JFH1 NS5B sequences permit polymerase inhibitor studies. Virology 2018; 522:177-192. [PMID: 30032031 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2018.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The six major epidemiologically important hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes differ in global distribution and antiviral responses. Full-length infectious cell-culture adapted clones, the gold standard for HCV studies in vitro, are missing for genotypes 4 and 5. To address this challenge for genotype 5, we constructed a consensus full-length clone of strain SA13 (SA13fl), which was found non-viable in Huh7.5 cells. Step-wise adaptation of SA13fl-based recombinants, beginning with a virus encoding the NS5B-thumb domain and 3´UTR of JFH1 (SA13/JF372-X), resulted in a high-titer SA13 virus with only 41 JFH1-encoded NS5B-thumb residues (SA13/JF470-510cc); this required sixteen cell-culture adaptive substitutions within the SA13fl polyprotein and two 3´UTR-changes. SA13/JF372-X and SA13/JF470-510cc were equally sensitive to nucleoside polymerase inhibitors, including sofosbuvir, but showed differential sensitivity to inhibitors targeting the NS5B palm or thumb. SA13/JF470-510cc represents a model to elucidate the influence of HCV RNA elements on viral replication and map determinants of sensitivity to polymerase inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daryl Humes
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Santseharay Ramirez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tanja B Jensen
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yi-Ping Li
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Judith M Gottwein
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Sekhar V, Pollicino T, Diaz G, Engle RE, Alayli F, Melis M, Kabat J, Tice A, Pomerenke A, Altan-Bonnet N, Zamboni F, Lusso P, Emerson SU, Farci P. Infection with hepatitis C virus depends on TACSTD2, a regulator of claudin-1 and occludin highly downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma. PLoS Pathog 2018. [PMID: 29538454 PMCID: PMC5882150 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Entry of hepatitis C virus (HCV) into hepatocytes is a complex process that involves numerous cellular factors, including the scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1), the tetraspanin CD81, and the tight junction (TJ) proteins claudin-1 (CLDN1) and occludin (OCLN). Despite expression of all known HCV-entry factors, in vitro models based on hepatoma cell lines do not fully reproduce the in vivo susceptibility of liver cells to primary HCV isolates, implying the existence of additional host factors which are critical for HCV entry and/or replication. Likewise, HCV replication is severely impaired within hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue in vivo, but the mechanisms responsible for this restriction are presently unknown. Here, we identify tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 (TACSTD2), one of the most downregulated genes in primary HCC tissue, as a host factor that interacts with CLDN1 and OCLN and regulates their cellular localization. TACSTD2 gene silencing disrupts the typical linear distribution of CLDN1 and OCLN along the cellular membrane in both hepatoma cells and primary human hepatocytes, recapitulating the pattern observed in vivo in primary HCC tissue. Mechanistic studies suggest that TACSTD2 is involved in the phosphorylation of CLDN1 and OCLN, which is required for their proper cellular localization. Silencing of TACSTD2 dramatically inhibits HCV infection with a pan-genotype effect that occurs at the level of viral entry. Our study identifies TACSTD2 as a novel regulator of two major HCV-entry factors, CLDN1 and OCLN, which is strongly downregulated in malignant hepatocytes. These results provide new insights into the complex process of HCV entry into hepatocytes and may assist in the development of more efficient cellular systems for HCV propagation in vitro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vandana Sekhar
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Teresa Pollicino
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Division of Clinical and Molecular Hepatology, Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giacomo Diaz
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Ronald E. Engle
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Farah Alayli
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Marta Melis
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Juraj Kabat
- Biological Imaging Facility/Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ashley Tice
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Anna Pomerenke
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nihal Altan-Bonnet
- Laboratory of Host-Pathogen Dynamics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Fausto Zamboni
- Liver Transplantation Center, Brotzu Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Paolo Lusso
- Viral Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Suzanne U. Emerson
- Molecular Hepatitis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Patrizia Farci
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Feng Y, Feng YM, Lu C, Han Y, Liu L, Sun X, Dai J, Xia X. Tree shrew, a potential animal model for hepatitis C, supports the infection and replication of HCV in vitro and in vivo. J Gen Virol 2017; 98:2069-2078. [PMID: 28758632 PMCID: PMC5656785 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis), a small animal widely distributed in Southeast Asia and southwest China, has the potential to be developed as an animal model for hepatitis C. To determine the susceptibility of the tree shrew to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in vitro and in vivo, a well-established HCV, produced from the J6/JFH1-Huh7.5.1 culture system, was used to infect cultured primary tupaia hepatocytes (PTHs) and tree shrews. The in vitro results showed that HCV genomic RNA and HCV-specific nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) could be detected in the PTH cell culture from days 3-15 post-infection, although the viral load was lower than that observed in Huh7.5.1 cell culture. The occurrence of five sense mutations [S391A, G397A, L402F and M405T in the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of envelope glycoprotein 2 and I2750M in NS5B] suggested that HCV undergoes genetic evolution during culture. Fourteen of the 30 experimental tree shrews (46.7 %) were found to be infected, although the HCV viremia was intermittent in vivo. A positive test for HCV RNA in liver tissue provided stronger evidence for HCV infection and replication in tree shrews. The results of an immunohistochemistry assay also demonstrated the presence of four HCV-specific proteins (Core, E2, NS3/4 and NS5A) in the hepatocytes of infected tree shrews. The pathological changes observed in the liver tissue of infected tree shrews could be considered to be representative symptoms of mild hepatitis. These results revealed that the tree shrew can be used as an animal model supporting the infection and replication of HCV in vitro and in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Feng
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Yunnan Provincial Center for Molecular Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, PR China
| | - Yue-Mei Feng
- Academy of Public Health, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, PR China
| | - Caixia Lu
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Yunnan 650118, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Han
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Yunnan 650118, PR China
| | - Li Liu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Yunnan Provincial Center for Molecular Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, PR China
| | - Xiaomei Sun
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Yunnan 650118, PR China
| | - Jiejie Dai
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Yunnan 650118, PR China
| | - Xueshan Xia
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Yunnan Provincial Center for Molecular Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Hepatitis C Virus Subverts Human Choline Kinase-α To Bridge Phosphatidylinositol-4-Kinase IIIα (PI4KIIIα) and NS5A and Upregulates PI4KIIIα Activation, Thereby Promoting the Translocation of the Ternary Complex to the Endoplasmic Reticulum for Viral Replication. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00355-17. [PMID: 28566381 PMCID: PMC5533930 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00355-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we elucidated the mechanism by which human choline kinase-α (hCKα) interacts with nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) and phosphatidylinositol-4-kinase IIIα (PI4KIIIα), the lipid kinase crucial for maintaining the integrity of virus-induced membranous webs, and modulates hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. hCKα activity positively modulated phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) levels in HCV-expressing cells, and hCKα-mediated PI4P accumulation was abolished by AL-9, a PI4KIIIα-specific inhibitor. hCKα colocalized with NS5A and PI4KIIIα or PI4P; NS5A expression increased hCKα and PI4KIIIα colocalization; and hCKα formed a ternary complex with PI4KIIIα and NS5A, supporting the functional interplay of hCKα with PI4KIIIα and NS5A. PI4KIIIα inactivation by AL-9 or hCKα inactivation by CK37, a specific hCKα inhibitor, impaired the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) localization and colocalization of these three molecules. Interestingly, hCKα knockdown or inactivation inhibited PI4KIIIα-NS5A binding. In an in vitro PI4KIIIα activity assay, hCKα activity slightly increased PI4KIIIα basal activity but greatly augmented NS5A-induced PI4KIIIα activity, supporting the essential role of ternary complex formation in robust PI4KIIIα activation. Concurring with the upregulation of PI4P production and viral replication, overexpression of active hCKα-R (but not the D288A mutant) restored PI4KIIIα and NS5A translocation to the ER in hCKα stable knockdown cells. Furthermore, active PI4KIIIα overexpression restored PI4P production, PI4KIIIα and NS5A translocation to the ER, and viral replication in CK37-treated cells. Based on our results, hCKα functions as an indispensable regulator that bridges PI4KIIIα and NS5A and potentiates NS5A-stimulated PI4KIIIα activity, which then facilitates the targeting of the ternary complex to the ER for viral replication. IMPORTANCE The mechanisms by which hCKα activity modulates the transport of the hCKα-NS5A complex to the ER are not understood. In the present study, we investigated how hCKα interacts with PI4KIIIα (a key element that maintains the integrity of the “membranous web” structure) and NS5A to regulate viral replication. We demonstrated that HCV hijacks hCKα to bridge PI4KIIIα and NS5A, forming a ternary complex, which then stimulates PI4KIIIα activity to produce PI4P. Pronounced PI4P synthesis then redirects the translocation of the ternary complex to the ER-derived, PI4P-enriched membrane for assembly of the viral replication complex and viral replication. Our study provides novel insights into the indispensable modulatory role of hCKα in the recruitment of PI4KIIIα to NS5A and in NS5A-stimulated PI4P production and reveals a new perspective for understanding the impact of profound PI4KIIIα activation on the targeting of PI4KIIIα and NS5A to the PI4P-enriched membrane for viral replication complex formation.
Collapse
|
26
|
Jackowiak P, Hojka-Osinska A, Philips A, Zmienko A, Budzko L, Maillard P, Budkowska A, Figlerowicz M. Small RNA fragments derived from multiple RNA classes - the missing element of multi-omics characteristics of the hepatitis C virus cell culture model. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:502. [PMID: 28666407 PMCID: PMC5493846 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3891-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A pool of small RNA fragments (RFs) derived from diverse cellular RNAs has recently emerged as a rich source of functionally relevant molecules. Although their formation and accumulation has been connected to various stress conditions, the knowledge on RFs produced upon viral infections is very limited. Here, we applied the next generation sequencing (NGS) to characterize RFs generated in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) cell culture model (HCV-permissive Huh-7.5 cell line). RESULTS We found that both infected and non-infected cells contained a wide spectrum of RFs derived from virtually all RNA classes. A significant fraction of identified RFs accumulated to similar levels as miRNAs. Our analysis, focused on RFs originating from constitutively expressed non-coding RNAs, revealed three major patterns of parental RNA cleavage. We found that HCV infection induced significant changes in the accumulation of low copy number RFs, while subtly altered the levels of high copy number ones. Finally, the candidate RFs potentially relevant for host-virus interactions were identified. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that RFs should be considered an important component of the Huh-7.5 transcriptome and suggest that the main factors influencing the RF biogenesis are the RNA structure and RNA protection by interacting proteins. The data presented here significantly complement the existing transcriptomic, miRnomic, proteomic and metabolomic characteristics of the HCV cell culture model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Jackowiak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704, Poznan, Poland
| | - Anna Hojka-Osinska
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704, Poznan, Poland
| | - Anna Philips
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704, Poznan, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Zmienko
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704, Poznan, Poland.,Institute of Computing Science, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3A, 60-965, Poznan, Poland
| | - Lucyna Budzko
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704, Poznan, Poland
| | - Patrick Maillard
- Institut Pasteur, Hepacivirus and Innate Immunity, CNRS, UMR3569, 75724, Paris, France
| | - Agata Budkowska
- Institut Pasteur, Hepacivirus and Innate Immunity, CNRS, UMR3569, 75724, Paris, France.,Scientific Advisor for the Department of International Affairs, Institut Pasteur, 75724, Paris, France
| | - Marek Figlerowicz
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704, Poznan, Poland. .,Institute of Computing Science, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3A, 60-965, Poznan, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Oliveira C, Fournier C, Descamps V, Morel V, Scipione CA, Romagnuolo R, Koschinsky ML, Boullier A, Marcelo P, Domon J, Brochot E, Duverlie G, Francois C, Castelain S, Helle F. Apolipoprotein(a) inhibits hepatitis C virus entry through interaction with infectious particles. Hepatology 2017; 65:1851-1864. [PMID: 28152568 PMCID: PMC5488163 DOI: 10.1002/hep.29096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The development of different cell culture models has greatly contributed to increased understanding of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) life cycle. However, it is still challenging to grow HCV clinical isolates in cell culture. If overcome, this would open new perspectives to study HCV biology, including drug-resistant variants emerging with new antiviral therapies. In this study we hypothesized that this hurdle could be due to the presence of inhibitory factors in patient serum. Combining polyethylene glycol precipitation, iodixanol gradient, and size-exclusion chromatography, we obtained from HCV-seronegative sera a purified fraction enriched in inhibitory factors. Mass spectrometric analysis identified apolipoprotein(a) (apo[a]) as a potential inhibitor of HCV entry. Apo(a) consists of 10 kringle IV domains (KIVs), one kringle V domain, and an inactive protease domain. The 10 KIVs are present in a single copy with the exception of KIV type 2 (KIV2 ), which is encoded in a variable number of tandemly repeated copies, giving rise to numerous apo(a) size isoforms. In addition, apo(a) covalently links to the apolipoprotein B component of a low-density lipoprotein through a disulfide bridge to form lipoprotein(a). Using a recombinant virus derived from the JFH1 strain, we confirmed that plasma-derived and recombinant lipoprotein(a) as well as purified recombinant apo(a) variants were able to specifically inhibit HCV by interacting with infectious particles. Our results also suggest that small isoforms are less inhibitory than the large ones. Finally, we observed that the lipoprotein moiety of HCV lipoviroparticles was essential for inhibition, whereas functional lysine-binding sites in KIV7 , KIV8 , and KIV10 were not required. CONCLUSIONS Our results identify apo(a) as an additional component of the lipid metabolism modulating HCV infection. (Hepatology 2017;65:1851-1864).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Oliveira
- EA4294, Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Carole Fournier
- EA4294, Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Véronique Descamps
- EA4294, Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Virginie Morel
- EA4294, Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Corey A. Scipione
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & DentistryWestern UniversityLondonONCanada
| | - Rocco Romagnuolo
- Department of Chemistry & BiochemistryUniversity of WindsorWindsorONCanada
| | - Marlys L. Koschinsky
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & DentistryWestern UniversityLondonONCanada
| | - Agnès Boullier
- INSERM U1088, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Paulo Marcelo
- Plateforme ICAP, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Jean‐Marc Domon
- EA3900 BIOPI, Biologie des Plantes et Innovation, UFR des Sciences, Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Etienne Brochot
- EA4294, Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Gilles Duverlie
- EA4294, Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance,Biobanque de Picardie, Centre Hospitalier UniversitaireAmiensFrance
| | - Catherine Francois
- EA4294, Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Sandrine Castelain
- EA4294, Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Francois Helle
- EA4294, Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Quantifying antiviral activity optimizes drug combinations against hepatitis C virus infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:1922-1927. [PMID: 28174263 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610197114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With the introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), treatment against hepatitis C virus (HCV) has significantly improved. To manage and control this worldwide infectious disease better, the "best" multidrug treatment is demanded based on scientific evidence. However, there is no method available that systematically quantifies and compares the antiviral efficacy and drug-resistance profiles of drug combinations. Based on experimental anti-HCV profiles in a cell culture system, we quantified the instantaneous inhibitory potential (IIP), which is the logarithm of the reduction in viral replication events, for both single drugs and multiple-drug combinations. From the calculated IIP of 15 anti-HCV drugs from different classes [telaprevir, danoprevir, asunaprevir, simeprevir, sofosbuvir (SOF), VX-222, dasabuvir, nesbuvir, tegobuvir, daclatasvir, ledipasvir, IFN-α, IFN-λ1, cyclosporin A, and SCY-635], we found that the nucleoside polymerase inhibitor SOF had one of the largest potentials to inhibit viral replication events. We also compared intrinsic antiviral activities of a panel of drug combinations. Our quantification analysis clearly indicated an advantage of triple-DAA treatments over double-DAA treatments, with triple-DAA treatments showing enhanced antiviral activity and a significantly lower probability for drug resistance to emerge at clinically relevant drug concentrations. Our framework provides quantitative information to consider in designing multidrug strategies before costly clinical trials.
Collapse
|
29
|
Tuning a cellular lipid kinase activity adapts hepatitis C virus to replication in cell culture. Nat Microbiol 2016; 2:16247. [PMID: 27991882 DOI: 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
With a single exception, all isolates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) require adaptive mutations to replicate efficiently in cell culture. Here, we show that a major class of adaptive mutations regulates the activity of a cellular lipid kinase, phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIIα (PI4KA). HCV needs to stimulate PI4KA to create a permissive phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate-enriched membrane microenvironment in the liver and in primary human hepatocytes (PHHs). In contrast, in Huh7 hepatoma cells, the virus must acquire loss-of-function mutations that prevent PI4KA overactivation. This adaptive mechanism is necessitated by increased PI4KA levels in Huh7 cells compared with PHHs, and is conserved across HCV genotypes. PI4KA-specific inhibitors promote replication of unadapted viral isolates and allow efficient replication of patient-derived virus in cell culture. In summary, this study has uncovered a long-sought mechanism of HCV cell-culture adaptation and demonstrates how a virus can adapt to changes in a cellular environment associated with tumorigenesis.
Collapse
|
30
|
Bullman S, Meyerson M, Kostic AD. Emerging Concepts and Technologies for the Discovery of Microorganisms Involved in Human Disease. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2016; 12:217-244. [PMID: 27959634 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-012615-044305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Established infectious agents continue to be a major cause of human morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, the causative agent remains unknown for a wide range of diseases; many of these are suspected to be attributable to yet undiscovered microorganisms. The advent of unbiased high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics has enabled rapid identification and molecular characterization of known and novel infectious agents in human disease. An exciting era of microbe discovery, now under way, holds great promise for the improvement of global health via the development of antimicrobial therapies, vaccination strategies, targeted public health measures, and probiotic-based preventions and therapies. Here, we review the history of pathogen discovery, discuss improvements and clinical applications for the detection of microbially associated diseases, and explore the challenges and strategies for establishing causation in human disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan Bullman
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215; , .,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Matthew Meyerson
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215; , .,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Aleksandar D Kostic
- Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215; .,Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Williams CL. Ralf Bartenschlager, Charles Rice, and Michael Sofia are honored with the 2016 Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award. J Clin Invest 2016; 126:3639-3644. [PMID: 27620536 PMCID: PMC5096798 DOI: 10.1172/jci90179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
|
32
|
Bukh J. The history of hepatitis C virus (HCV): Basic research reveals unique features in phylogeny, evolution and the viral life cycle with new perspectives for epidemic control. J Hepatol 2016; 65:S2-S21. [PMID: 27641985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2016.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989 permitted basic research to unravel critical components of a complex life cycle for this important human pathogen. HCV is a highly divergent group of viruses classified in 7 major genotypes and a great number of subtypes, and circulating in infected individuals as a continuously evolving quasispecies destined to escape host immune responses and applied antivirals. Despite the inability to culture patient viruses directly in the laboratory, efforts to define the infectious genome of HCV resulted in development of experimental recombinant in vivo and in vitro systems, including replicons and infectious cultures in human hepatoma cell lines. And HCV has become a model virus defining new paradigms in virology, immunology and biology. For example, HCV research discovered that a virus could be completely dependent on microRNA for its replication since microRNA-122 is critical for the HCV life cycle. A number of other host molecules critical for HCV entry and replication have been identified. Thus, basic HCV research revealed important molecules for development of host targeting agents (HTA). The identification and characterization of HCV encoded proteins and their functional units contributed to the development of highly effective direct acting antivirals (DAA) against the NS3 protease, NS5A and the NS5B polymerase. In combination, these inhibitors have since 2014 permitted interferon-free therapy with cure rates above 90% among patients with chronic HCV infection; however, viral resistance represents a challenge. Worldwide control of HCV will most likely require the development of a prophylactic vaccine, and numerous candidates have been pursued. Research characterizing features critical for antibody-based virus neutralization and T cell based virus elimination from infected cells is essential for this effort. If the world community promotes an ambitious approach by applying current DAA broadly, continues to develop alternative viral- and host- targeted antivirals to combat resistant variants, and invests in the development of a vaccine, it would be possible to eradicate HCV. This would prevent about 500 thousand deaths annually. However, given the nature of HCV, the millions of new infections annually, a high chronicity rate, and with over 150 million individuals with chronic infection (which are frequently unidentified), this effort remains a major challenge for basic researchers, clinicians and communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Fungus-Derived Neoechinulin B as a Novel Antagonist of Liver X Receptor, Identified by Chemical Genetics Using a Hepatitis C Virus Cell Culture System. J Virol 2016; 90:9058-74. [PMID: 27489280 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00856-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Cell culture systems reproducing virus replication can serve as unique models for the discovery of novel bioactive molecules. Here, using a hepatitis C virus (HCV) cell culture system, we identified neoechinulin B (NeoB), a fungus-derived compound, as an inhibitor of the liver X receptor (LXR). NeoB was initially identified by chemical screening as a compound that impeded the production of infectious HCV. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis and reporter assays revealed that NeoB specifically inhibits LXR-mediated transcription. NeoB was also shown to interact directly with LXRs. Analysis of structural analogs suggested that the molecular interaction of NeoB with LXR correlated with the capacity to inactivate LXR-mediated transcription and to modulate lipid metabolism in hepatocytes. Our data strongly suggested that NeoB is a novel LXR antagonist. Analysis using NeoB as a bioprobe revealed that LXRs support HCV replication: LXR inactivation resulted in dispersion of double-membrane vesicles, putative viral replication sites. Indeed, cells treated with NeoB showed decreased replicative permissiveness for poliovirus, which also replicates in double-membrane vesicles, but not for dengue virus, which replicates via a distinct membrane compartment. Together, our data suggest that LXR-mediated transcription regulates the formation of virus-associated membrane compartments. Significantly, inhibition of LXRs by NeoB enhanced the activity of all known classes of anti-HCV agents, and NeoB showed especially strong synergy when combined with interferon or an HCV NS5A inhibitor. Thus, our chemical genetics analysis demonstrates the utility of the HCV cell culture system for identifying novel bioactive molecules and characterizing the virus-host interaction machinery. IMPORTANCE Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is highly dependent on host factors for efficient replication. In the present study, we used an HCV cell culture system to screen an uncharacterized chemical library. Our results identified neoechinulin B (NeoB) as a novel inhibitor of the liver X receptor (LXR). NeoB inhibited the induction of LXR-regulated genes and altered lipid metabolism. Intriguingly, our results indicated that LXRs are critical to the process of HCV replication: LXR inactivation by NeoB disrupted double-membrane vesicles, putative sites of viral replication. Moreover, NeoB augmented the antiviral activity of all known classes of currently approved anti-HCV agents without increasing cytotoxicity. Thus, our strategy directly links the identification of novel bioactive compounds to basic virology and the development of new antiviral agents.
Collapse
|
34
|
Mori KI, Matsumoto A, Maki N, Ichikawa Y, Tanaka E, Yagi S. Production of infectious HCV genotype 1b virus in cell culture using a novel Set of adaptive mutations. BMC Microbiol 2016; 16:224. [PMID: 27678340 PMCID: PMC5039931 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-016-0846-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the high prevalence of genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV) among patients, a cell culture system that permits entire viral life cycle of genotype 1b isolates is limited. To develop a cell-cultured hepatitis C virus (HCVcc) of genotype 1b, the proper combination of HCV genomic variants and host cells is essential. HCV genomes isolated from patients with distinctive symptoms may provide the variants required to establish an HCVcc of genotype 1b. Results We first established subgenomic replicons in Huh7 cells using HCV cDNAs isolated from two patients: one with fulminant hepatitis after liver transplantation (TPF1) and another with acute hepatitis and moderate symptoms (sAH). Replicons established from TPF1 and sAH showed mutations in NS4B and in NS3 and NS5A, respectively. Using these replication machineries, we constructed HCV genomic RNAs for each isolate. Virus infectivity was evaluated by a focus-forming assay, which is dependent on the intracellular expression of core antigen, and production of virus particles was assessed by density-gradient centrifugation. Infectious virus was only observed in the culture medium of cells transfected with TFP1 HCV RNA. A chimeric genome with the structural segment (5′-untranslated region [UTR] through NS2) from sAH and the replication machinery (NS3 through 3′-UTR) from TPF1 exhibited greater infectivity than did TFP1, despite formation of deficient virus particles in sAH, suggesting that this genomic segment potentiates virus particle formation. To identify the responsible variants, infectious virus formation was assessed in a chimeric genome carrying parts of the sAH structural segment of the TPF1 genome. A variant in NS2 (M170T) was identified that enhanced infectious virus formation. HCVcc carrying an NS2 gene encoding the M170T substitution and adaptive mutations in NS4B (referred to as TPF1-M170T) infected naïve cured Huh7 cells in a CD81-dependent manner. Conclusions We established a novel HCVcc of genotype 1b in Huh7 cells by introducing an amino acid variant in NS2 and adaptive mutations in NS4B from HCV genomic RNA isolated from a patient with fulminant HCV after liver transplantation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-016-0846-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ken-Ichi Mori
- R&D Department, Advanced Life Science Institute, Inc., 2-10-23 Maruyamadai, Wako, Saitama, 351-0112, Japan
| | - Akihiro Matsumoto
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Noboru Maki
- R&D Department, Advanced Life Science Institute, Inc., 2-10-23 Maruyamadai, Wako, Saitama, 351-0112, Japan
| | - Yuki Ichikawa
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Eiji Tanaka
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Shintaro Yagi
- R&D Department, Advanced Life Science Institute, Inc., 2-10-23 Maruyamadai, Wako, Saitama, 351-0112, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Pessoa LS, Vidal LL, Costa ECBD, Abreu CM, Cunha RDD, Valadão ALC, Santos AFD, Tanuri A. Development of a rapid phenotypic test for HCV protease inhibitors with potential use in clinical decisions. Genet Mol Biol 2016; 39:358-64. [PMID: 27575432 PMCID: PMC5004841 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2016-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 185 million people worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis C
virus (HCV). The first-wave of approved NS3 protease inhibitors (PIs) were Telaprevir
and Boceprevir, which are currently discontinued. Simeprevir is a second-wave PI
incorporated into the Brazilian hepatitis C treatment protocol. Drug resistance plays
a key role in patients' treatment regimen. Here, we developed a simple phenotypic
assay to evaluate the impact of resistance mutations in HCV NS3 protease to PIs,
using a protein expression vector containing wild type NS3 protease domain and NS4A
co-factor. We analyzed the impact of five resistance mutations (T54A, V36M, V158I,
V170I and T54S+V170I) against Telaprevir, Boceprevir and Simeprevir. Protein
purifications were performed with low cost methodology, and enzymatic inhibition
assays were measured by FRET. We obtained recombinant proteases with detectable
activity, and IC50 and fold change values for the evaluated PIs were
determined. The variant T54A showed the highest reduction of susceptibility for the
PIs, while the other four variants exhibited lower levels of reduced susceptibility.
Interestingly, V170I showed 3.2-fold change for Simeprevir, a new evidence about this
variant. These results emphasize the importance of enzymatic assays in phenotypic
tests to determine which therapeutic regimen should be implemented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Santos Pessoa
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luãnna Liebscher Vidal
- Laboratório de Virologia Humana, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Celina Monteiro Abreu
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rodrigo Delvecchio da Cunha
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Luiza Chaves Valadão
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - André Felipe Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Virologia Humana, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Amilcar Tanuri
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Meanwell NA. 2015 Philip S. Portoghese Medicinal Chemistry Lectureship. Curing Hepatitis C Virus Infection with Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents: The Arc of a Medicinal Chemistry Triumph. J Med Chem 2016; 59:7311-51. [PMID: 27501244 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of direct-acting antiviral agents that can cure a chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection after 8-12 weeks of daily, well-tolerated therapy has revolutionized the treatment of this insidious disease. In this article, three of Bristol-Myers Squibb's HCV programs are summarized, each of which produced a clinical candidate: the NS3 protease inhibitor asunaprevir (64), marketed as Sunvepra, the NS5A replication complex inhibitor daclatasvir (117), marketed as Daklinza, and the allosteric NS5B polymerase inhibitor beclabuvir (142), which is in late stage clinical studies. A clinical study with 64 and 117 established for the first time that a chronic HCV infection could be cured by treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents alone in the absence of interferon. The development of small molecule HCV therapeutics, designed by medicinal chemists, has been hailed as "the arc of a medical triumph" but may equally well be described as "the arc of a medicinal chemistry triumph".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Meanwell
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research & Development , Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, United States
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Schwartz RE, Bram Y, Frankel A. Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocyte-like Cells: A Tool to Study Infectious Disease. CURRENT PATHOBIOLOGY REPORTS 2016; 4:147-156. [PMID: 29910973 DOI: 10.1007/s40139-016-0113-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Liver disease is an important clinical and global problem and is the 16th leading cause of death worldwide and responsible for 1 million deaths worldwide each year. Infectious disease is a major cause of liver disease specifically and overall is even a greater cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Tools to study human liver disease and infectious disease have been lacking which has significantly hampered the study of liver disease generally and hepatotropic pathogens more specifically. Historically, hepatoma cell lines have been used for in vitro cell culture models to study infectious disease. Significant differences between human hepatoma cell lines and the human hepatocyte has hampered our understanding of hepatocyte pathogen infection and hepatocyte--pathogen interactions. Recent Findings Despite these limitations, great progress was made in the understanding of specific aspects of the life cycle of the canonical hepatocyte viral pathogen, Hepatitis C Virus. Over time various specific drugs targeting various proteins of the HCV virion or aspects of the HCV viral life cycle have been created that enable almost complete elimination of the virus in vitro and clinically. These drugs, direct-acting antivirals have enabled achieving sustained virologic response in over 90-95 percent of patients. Summary Despite the development of direct-acting antivirals and the extreme success in achieving sustained virologic response, there has only been limited success elucidating host-pathogen interactions largely due to the poor nature of the hepatoma platform. Alternative approaches are needed. Pluripotent stem cells are renewable, can be derived from a single donor and can be efficiently and reproducibly differentiated towards many cell types including ectodermal-, endodermal-, and mesodermal-derived lineages. The development of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells (iHLCS) changes the paradigm as robust cells with the phenotype and function of hepatocytes can be readily created on demand with a variety of genetic background or alterations. iHLCs are readily used as models to study human drug metabolism, human liver disease, and human hepatotropic infectious disease. In this review, we discuss the biology of the HCV virus, the use of iHLCs as models to study human liver disease, and review the current work on using iHLCs to study HCV infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yaron Bram
- Weill Cornell School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Thomas E, Liang TJ. Experimental models of hepatitis B and C - new insights and progress. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2016; 13:362-74. [PMID: 27075261 PMCID: PMC5578419 DOI: 10.1038/nrgastro.2016.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Viral hepatitis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Hepatitis-causing viruses initiate disease by establishing both acute and chronic infections, and several of these viruses are specifically associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Consequently, intense research efforts have been focusing on increasing our understanding of hepatitis virus biology and on improving antiviral therapy and vaccination strategies. Although valuable information on viral hepatitis emerged from careful epidemiological studies on sporadic outbreaks in humans, experimental models using cell culture, rodent and non-human primates were essential in advancing the field. Through the use of these experimental models, improvement in both the treatment and prevention of viral hepatitis has progressed rapidly; however, agents of viral hepatitis are still among the most common pathogens infecting humans. In this Review, we describe the important part that these experimental models have played in the study of viral hepatitis and led to monumental advances in our understanding and treatment of these pathogens. Ongoing developments in experimental models are also described.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Thomas
- Schiff Center for Liver Diseases and Sylvester Cancer Center, Room
PAP514, Papanicolaou Building, 1550 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33136, USA
| | - T. Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases Branch, NIH, Building 10-9B16, Bethesda, Maryland
20892–1800, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 to 6 Protease Inhibitor Escape Variants: In Vitro Selection, Fitness, and Resistance Patterns in the Context of the Infectious Viral Life Cycle. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:3563-78. [PMID: 27021330 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02929-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease inhibitors (PIs) are important components of novel HCV therapy regimens. Studies of PI resistance initially focused on genotype 1. Therefore, knowledge about the determinants of PI resistance for the highly prevalent genotypes 2 to 6 remains limited. Using Huh7.5 cell culture-infectious HCV recombinants with genotype 1 to 6 NS3 protease, we identified protease positions 54, 155, and 156 as hot spots for the selection of resistance substitutions under treatment with the first licensed PIs, telaprevir and boceprevir. Treatment of a genotype 2 isolate with the newer PIs vaniprevir, faldaprevir, simeprevir, grazoprevir, paritaprevir, and deldeprevir identified positions 156 and 168 as hot spots for resistance; the Y56H substitution emerged for three newer PIs. Substitution selection also depended on the specific recombinant. The substitutions identified conferred cross-resistance to several PIs; however, most substitutions selected under telaprevir or boceprevir treatment conferred less resistance to certain newer PIs. In a single-cycle production assay, across genotypes, PI treatment primarily decreased viral replication, which was rescued by PI resistance substitutions. The substitutions identified resulted in differential effects on viral fitness, depending on the original recombinant and the substitution. Across genotypes, fitness impairment induced by resistance substitutions was due primarily to decreased replication. Most combinations of substitutions that were identified increased resistance or fitness. Combinations of resistance substitutions with fitness-compensating substitutions either rescued replication or compensated for decreased replication by increasing assembly. This comprehensive study provides insight into the selection patterns and effects of PI resistance substitutions for HCV genotypes 1 to 6 in the context of the infectious viral life cycle, which is of interest for clinical and virological HCV research.
Collapse
|
40
|
Jackman JA, Linardy E, Yoo D, Seo J, Ng WB, Klemme DJ, Wittenberg NJ, Oh SH, Cho NJ. Plasmonic Nanohole Sensor for Capturing Single Virus-Like Particles toward Virucidal Drug Evaluation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2016; 12:1159-66. [PMID: 26450658 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201501914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
A plasmonic nanohole sensor for virus-like particle capture and virucidal drug evaluation is reported. Using a materials-selective surface functionalization scheme, passive immobilization of virus-like particles only within the nanoholes is achieved. The findings demonstrate that a low surface coverage of particles only inside the functionalized nanoholes significantly improves nanoplasmonic sensing performance over conventional nanohole arrays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A Jackman
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore
- Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, 637553, Singapore
| | - Eric Linardy
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore
- Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, 637553, Singapore
| | - Daehan Yoo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, 200 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Jeongeun Seo
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore
- Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, 637553, Singapore
| | - Wei Beng Ng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore
- Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, 637553, Singapore
| | - Daniel J Klemme
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, 200 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Nathan J Wittenberg
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, 200 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Sang-Hyun Oh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, 200 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Nam-Joon Cho
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore
- Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, 637553, Singapore
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, 637459, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Affiliation(s)
- David Paul
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ralf Bartenschlager
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Virus-Associated Carcinogenesis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Type I and type II interferon responses in two human liver cell lines (Huh-7 and HuH6). GENOMICS DATA 2015; 7:166-70. [PMID: 26981398 PMCID: PMC4778650 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Most studies investigating the biology of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) have used the human hepatoma cell line Huh-7 or subclones thereof, as these are the most permissive cell lines for HCV infection and replication. Other cell lines also support replication of HCV, most notably the human hepatoblastoma cell line HuH6. HCV replication in cell culture is generally highly sensitive to interferons (IFNs) and differences in the IFN-mediated inhibition of virus replication may reflect alterations in the IFN-induced antiviral response inherent to different host cells. For example, HCV replication is highly sensitive to IFN-γ treatment in Huh-7, but not in HuH6 cells. In this study, we used microarray-based gene expression profiling to compare the response of Huh-7 and HuH6 cells to stimulation with IFN-α and IFN-γ. Furthermore, we determined whether the resistance of HCV replication in HuH6 cells can be linked to differences in the expression profile of IFN-regulated genes. Although both cells lines responded to IFNs with rapid changes in gene expression, thereby demonstrating functional type I and type II signaling pathways, differences were observed for a number of genes. Raw and normalized expression data have been deposited in GEO under accession number GSE68927.
Collapse
|
43
|
A Diverse Panel of Hepatitis C Virus Glycoproteins for Use in Vaccine Research Reveals Extremes of Monoclonal Antibody Neutralization Resistance. J Virol 2015; 90:3288-301. [PMID: 26699643 PMCID: PMC4794667 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02700-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite significant advances in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the need to develop preventative vaccines remains. Identification of the best vaccine candidates and evaluation of their performance in preclinical and clinical development will require appropriate neutralization assays utilizing diverse HCV isolates. We aimed to generate and characterize a panel of HCV E1E2 glycoproteins suitable for subsequent use in vaccine and therapeutic antibody testing. Full-length E1E2 clones were PCR amplified from patient-derived serum samples, cloned into an expression vector, and used to generate viral pseudoparticles (HCVpp). In addition, some of these clones were used to generate cell culture infectious (HCVcc) clones. The infectivity and neutralization sensitivity of these viruses were then determined. Bioinformatic and HCVpp infectivity screening of approximately 900 E1E2 clones resulted in the assembly of a panel of 78 functional E1E2 proteins representing distinct HCV genotypes and different stages of infection. These HCV glycoproteins differed markedly in their sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies. We used this panel to predict antibody efficacy against circulating HCV strains, highlighting the likely reason why some monoclonal antibodies failed in previous clinical trials. This study provides the first objective categorization of cross-genotype patient-derived HCV E1E2 clones according to their sensitivity to antibody neutralization. It has shown that HCV isolates have clearly distinguishable neutralization-sensitive, -resistant, or -intermediate phenotypes, which are independent of genotype. The panel provides a systematic means for characterization of the neutralizing response elicited by candidate vaccines and for defining the therapeutic potential of monoclonal antibodies. IMPORTANCE Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has a global burden of more than 170 million people, many of whom cannot attain the new, expensive, direct-acting antiviral therapies. A safe and effective vaccine that generates both T cell responses and neutralizing antibodies is required to eradicate the disease. Regions within the HCV surface glycoproteins E1 and E2 are essential for virus entry and are targets for neutralizing antibodies. Screening of vaccine candidates requires suitable panels of glycoproteins that represent the breadth of neutralization resistance. Use of a standard reference panel for vaccine studies will ensure comparability of data sets, as has become routine for HIV-1. Here, we describe a large panel of patient-derived HCV glycoproteins with an assessment of their neutralization sensitivity to defined monoclonal antibodies, which has enabled us to predict their likely efficacy in the wider HCV-infected population. The panel could also be important for future selection of additional therapeutic antibodies and for vaccine design.
Collapse
|
44
|
March S, Ramanan V, Trehan K, Ng S, Galstian A, Gural N, Scull MA, Shlomai A, Mota MM, Fleming HE, Khetani SR, Rice CM, Bhatia SN. Micropatterned coculture of primary human hepatocytes and supportive cells for the study of hepatotropic pathogens. Nat Protoc 2015; 10:2027-53. [PMID: 26584444 PMCID: PMC5867906 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2015.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of therapies and vaccines for human hepatropic pathogens requires robust model systems that enable the study of host-pathogen interactions. However, in vitro liver models of infection typically use either hepatoma cell lines that exhibit aberrant physiology or primary human hepatocytes in culture conditions in which they rapidly lose their hepatic phenotype. To achieve stable and robust in vitro primary human hepatocyte models, we developed micropatterned cocultures (MPCCs), which consist of primary human hepatocytes organized into 2D islands that are surrounded by supportive fibroblast cells. By using this system, which can be established over a period of days, and maintained over multiple weeks, we demonstrate how to recapitulate in vitro hepatic life cycles for the hepatitis B and C viruses and the Plasmodium pathogens P. falciparum and P. vivax. The MPCC platform can be used to uncover aspects of host-pathogen interactions, and it has the potential to be used for drug and vaccine development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra March
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vyas Ramanan
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kartik Trehan
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shengyong Ng
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ani Galstian
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nil Gural
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Margaret A Scull
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Amir Shlomai
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maria M Mota
- Unidade de Malaria, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Heather E Fleming
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Salman R Khetani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Charles M Rice
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sangeeta N Bhatia
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Perales C, Quer J, Gregori J, Esteban JI, Domingo E. Resistance of Hepatitis C Virus to Inhibitors: Complexity and Clinical Implications. Viruses 2015; 7:5746-66. [PMID: 26561827 PMCID: PMC4664975 DOI: 10.3390/v7112902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Selection of inhibitor-resistant viral mutants is universal for viruses that display quasi-species dynamics, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is no exception. Here we review recent results on drug resistance in HCV, with emphasis on resistance to the newly-developed, directly-acting antiviral agents, as they are increasingly employed in the clinic. We put the experimental observations in the context of quasi-species dynamics, in particular what the genetic and phenotypic barriers to resistance mean in terms of exploration of sequence space while HCV replicates in the liver of infected patients or in cell culture. Strategies to diminish the probability of viral breakthrough during treatment are briefly outlined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Celia Perales
- Liver Unit, Internal Medicine, Laboratory of Malalties Hepàtiques, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (VHIR-HUVH), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Biologia Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Josep Quer
- Liver Unit, Internal Medicine, Laboratory of Malalties Hepàtiques, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (VHIR-HUVH), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Spain.
| | - Josep Gregori
- Liver Unit, Internal Medicine, Laboratory of Malalties Hepàtiques, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (VHIR-HUVH), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
- Roche Diagnostics SL, 08174 Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain.
| | - Juan Ignacio Esteban
- Liver Unit, Internal Medicine, Laboratory of Malalties Hepàtiques, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (VHIR-HUVH), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Spain.
| | - Esteban Domingo
- Centro de Biologia Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Characterization of α-taxilin as a novel factor controlling the release of hepatitis C virus. Biochem J 2015; 473:145-55. [PMID: 26527738 DOI: 10.1042/bj20150717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Although it is well established that the release of HCV (hepatitis C virus) occurs through the secretory pathway, many aspects concerning the control of this process are not yet fully understood. α-Taxilin was identified as a novel binding partner of syntaxin-4 and of other members of the syntaxin family, which are part of SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein-attachment protein receptor) complexes and so are involved in intracellular vesicle traffic. Since α-taxilin prevents t-SNARE (target SNARE) formation by binding exclusively to free syntaxin-4, it exerts an inhibitory effect on the vesicular transport. HCV-replicating Huh7.5 cells and HCV-infected primary human hepatocytes and liver samples of patients suffering from chronic HCV contain significantly less α-taxilin compared with the controls. HCV impairs the expression of α-taxilin via NS5A-dependent interruption of the Raf/MEK [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)/ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) kinase] signal transduction cascade. Moreover, the half-life of α-taxilin is significantly reduced in HCV-replicating cells. Whereas modulation of α-taxilin expression does not significantly affect genome replication, the overexpression of α-taxilin prevents the release of HCV. In contrast with this, silencing of α-taxilin expression leads to increased release of infectious viral particles. This is due to the negative effect of α-taxilin on t-SNARE formation that leads to impaired vesicular trafficking. Accordingly, overexpression of the t-SNARE component syntaxin-4 increases release of HCV, whereas silencing leads to an impaired release. These data identify α-taxilin as a novel factor that controls the release of HCV and reveal the mechanism by which HCV controls the activity of α-taxilin.
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are a leading cause of foodborne disease and severe childhood diarrhea, and they cause a majority of the gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. However, the development of effective and long-lasting HuNoV vaccines and therapeutics has been greatly hindered by their uncultivability. We recently demonstrated that a HuNoV replicates in human B cells, and that commensal bacteria serve as a cofactor for this infection. In this protocol, we provide detailed methods for culturing the GII.4-Sydney HuNoV strain directly in human B cells, and in a coculture system in which the virus must cross a confluent epithelial barrier to access underlying B cells. We also describe methods for bacterial stimulation of HuNoV B cell infection and for measuring viral attachment to the surface of B cells. Finally, we highlight variables that contribute to the efficiency of viral replication in this system. Infection assays require 3 d and attachment assays require 3 h. Analysis of infection or attachment samples, including RNA extraction and RT-qPCR, requires ∼6 h.
Collapse
|
48
|
Grünvogel O, Esser-Nobis K, Reustle A, Schult P, Müller B, Metz P, Trippler M, Windisch MP, Frese M, Binder M, Fackler O, Bartenschlager R, Ruggieri A, Lohmann V. DDX60L Is an Interferon-Stimulated Gene Product Restricting Hepatitis C Virus Replication in Cell Culture. J Virol 2015; 89:10548-68. [PMID: 26269178 PMCID: PMC4580188 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01297-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED All major types of interferon (IFN) efficiently inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in vitro and in vivo. Remarkably, HCV replication is not sensitive to IFN-γ in the hepatoma cell line Huh6, despite an intact signaling pathway. We performed transcriptome analyses between Huh6 and Huh-7 cells to identify effector genes of the IFN-γ response and thereby identified the DExD/H box helicase DEAD box polypeptide 60-like (DDX60L) as a restriction factor of HCV replication. DDX60L and its homolog DEAD box polypeptide 60 (DDX60) were both induced upon viral infection and IFN treatment in primary human hepatocytes. However, exclusively DDX60L knockdown increased HCV replication in Huh-7 cells and rescued HCV replication from type II IFN as well as type I and III IFN treatment, suggesting that DDX60L is an important effector protein of the innate immune response against HCV. In contrast, we found no impact of DDX60L on replication of hepatitis A virus. DDX60L protein was detectable only upon strong ectopic overexpression, displayed a broad cytoplasmic distribution, but caused cytopathic effects under these conditions. DDX60L knockdown did not alter interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) induction after IFN treatment but inhibited HCV replication upon ectopic expression, suggesting that it is a direct effector of the innate immune response. It most likely inhibits viral RNA replication, since we found neither impact of DDX60L on translation or stability of HCV subgenomic replicons nor additional impact on assembly of infectious virus. Similar to DDX60, DDX60L had a moderate impact on RIG-I dependent activation of innate immunity, suggesting additional functions in the sensing of viral RNA. IMPORTANCE Interferons induce a plethora of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), which are our first line of defense against viral infections. In addition, IFNs have been used in antiviral therapy, in particular against the human pathogen hepatitis C virus (HCV); still, their mechanism of action is not well understood, since diverse, overlapping sets of antagonistic effector ISGs target viruses with different biologies. Our work identifies DDX60L as a novel factor that inhibits replication of HCV. DDX60L expression is regulated similarly to that of its homolog DDX60, but our data suggest that it has distinct functions, since we found no contribution of DDX60 in combatting HCV replication. The identification of novel components of the innate immune response contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the complex mechanisms governing antiviral defense.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Grünvogel
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Esser-Nobis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Reustle
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Philipp Schult
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Birthe Müller
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Integrative Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Philippe Metz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Trippler
- Medical Research Centre, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Marc P Windisch
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Frese
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marco Binder
- Research Group Dynamics of Early Viral Infection and the Innate Antiviral Response, Division Virus-Associated Carcinogenesis (F170), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Fackler
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Integrative Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ralf Bartenschlager
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alessia Ruggieri
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Volker Lohmann
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Gardiner CM. NK cell function and receptor diversity in the context of HCV infection. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1061. [PMID: 26483779 PMCID: PMC4588102 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects over 170 million people in the world. While a minority of individuals are able to naturally clear this hepatotropic virus using their immune system, most people go on to develop a lifetime chronic infection that can result in severe liver pathology, potentially leading to liver cirrhosis and hepatic cellular carcinoma. Investigations into acute immune responses and spontaneous clearance of the virus are severely hampered by difficulties in identification of relevant patient cohorts. While the role for the adaptive immune response in viral clearance is well established, it is becoming clear that the innate immune system also impacts on HCV outcome. The innate immune response to infection is likely to influence the type of adaptive immune response that develops and will ultimately influence if the virus is cleared or develops into a chronic infection. Natural Killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes that have important anti-viral functions including direct cytotoxicity of infected cells and the production of inflammatory cytokines, e.g., IFN-γ. They are generally considered to be cells of the innate immune system, although there is increasing evidence that NK cells adapt and persist in response to particular viral infections. NK cells are altered in patients with acute and chronic HCV infection. There is increasing evidence from both cellular and genetic studies that NK cells modulate HCV outcome. This review will describe and discuss the current experimental and clinical evidence of a role for NK cells in HCV infection and describe recent discoveries that are likely to play a role in future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clair M Gardiner
- NK Cell Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Inhibitors of the Hepatitis C Virus Polymerase; Mode of Action and Resistance. Viruses 2015; 7:5206-24. [PMID: 26426038 PMCID: PMC4632376 DOI: 10.3390/v7102868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a pandemic human pathogen posing a substantial health and economic burden in both developing and developed countries. Controlling the spread of HCV through behavioural prevention strategies has met with limited success and vaccine development remains slow. The development of antiviral therapeutic agents has also been challenging, primarily due to the lack of efficient cell culture and animal models for all HCV genotypes, as well as the large genetic diversity between HCV strains. On the other hand, the use of interferon-α-based treatments in combination with the guanosine analogue, ribavirin, achieved limited success, and widespread use of these therapies has been hampered by prevalent side effects. For more than a decade, the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) has been targeted for antiviral development. Direct acting antivirals (DAA) have been identified which bind to one of at least six RdRp inhibitor-binding sites, and are now becoming a mainstay of highly effective and well tolerated antiviral treatment for HCV infection. Here we review the different classes of RdRp inhibitors and their mode of action against HCV. Furthermore, the mechanism of antiviral resistance to each class is described, including naturally occurring resistance-associated variants (RAVs) in different viral strains and genotypes. Finally, we review the impact of these RAVs on treatment outcomes with the newly developed regimens.
Collapse
|