1
|
Zhang J, Wang Q, Yuan W, Li J, Yuan Q, Zhang J, Xia N, Wang Y, Li J, Tong S. Both middle and large envelope proteins can mediate neutralization of hepatitis B virus infectivity by anti-preS2 antibodies: escape by naturally occurring preS2 deletions. J Virol 2024; 98:e0192923. [PMID: 39078152 PMCID: PMC11334434 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01929-23] [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: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) expresses co-terminal large (L), middle (M), and small (S) envelope proteins containing preS1/preS2/S, preS2/S, and S domain alone, respectively. S and preS1 domains mediate sequential virion attachment to heparan sulfate proteoglycans and sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), respectively, which can be blocked by anti-S and anti-preS1 antibodies. How anti-preS2 antibodies neutralize HBV infectivity remains enigmatic. The late stage of chronic HBV infection often selects for mutated preS2 translation initiation codon to prevent M protein expression, or in-frame preS2 deletions to shorten both L and M proteins. When introduced to infectious clone of genotype C or D, both M-minus mutations and most 5' preS2 deletions sustained virion production. Such mutant progeny viral particles were infectious in NTCP-reconstituted HepG2 cells. Neutralization experiments were performed on the genotype D clone. Although remaining susceptible to anti-preS1 and anti-S neutralizing antibodies, M-minus mutants were only partially neutralized by two anti-preS2 antibodies tested while preS2 deletion mutants were resistant. By infection experiments using viral particles with lost versus increased M protein expression, or a neutralization escaping preS2 deletion only present on L or M protein, we found that both full-length L and M proteins contributed to virus neutralization by the two anti-preS2 antibodies. Thus, immune escape could be a driving force for the selection of M-minus mutations, and especially preS2 deletions. The fact that both L and M proteins could mediate neutralization by anti-preS2 antibodies may shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism.IMPORTANCEThe large (L), middle (M), and small (S) envelope proteins of hepatitis B virus (HBV) contain preS1/preS2/S, preS2/S, and S domain alone, respectively. The discovery of heparan sulfate proteoglycans and sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) as the low- and high-affinity HBV receptors could explain neutralizing potential of anti-S and anti-preS1 antibodies, respectively, but how anti-preS2 neutralizing antibodies work remains enigmatic. In this study, we found two M-minus mutants in the context of genotype D partially escaped two anti-preS2 neutralizing antibodies in NTCP-reconstituted HepG2 cells, while several naturally occurring preS2 deletion mutants escaped both antibodies. By point mutations to eliminate or enhance M protein expression, and by introducing preS2 deletion selectively to L or M protein, we found binding of anti-preS2 antibodies to both L and M proteins contributed to neutralization of wild-type HBV infectivity. Our finding may shed light on the possible mechanism(s) whereby anti-preS2 antibodies neutralize HBV infectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Department of Pathobiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianru Wang
- Department of Pathobiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqing Yuan
- Liver Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital, The Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Jing Li
- Liver Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital, The Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Quan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jiming Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ningshao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yongxiang Wang
- Department of Pathobiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jisu Li
- Liver Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital, The Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Shuping Tong
- Department of Pathobiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Liver Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital, The Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Shrestha B, Yang S, Griffith L, Ma J, Wang F, Liu H, Zhao Q, Du Y, Zhang J, Chang J, Guo JT. Discovery of hepatitis B virus subviral particle biogenesis inhibitors from a bioactive compound library. Antiviral Res 2024; 228:105955. [PMID: 38964614 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
High levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood of chronic HBV carriers are considered to drive the exhaustion of antigen-specific T and B lymphocytes and thus responsible for the persistence of infection. Accordingly, therapeutic elimination of HBsAg may facilitate the activation of adaptive antiviral immune responses against HBV and achieve a functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. We discovered recently that an amphipathic alpha helix spanning W156 to R169 of HBV small envelope (S) protein plays an essential role in the morphogenesis of subviral particles (SVPs) and metabolism of S protein. We thus hypothesized that pharmacological disruption of SVP morphogenesis may induce intracellular degradation of S protein and reduce HBsAg secretion. To identify inhibitors of SVP biogenesis, we screened 4417 bioactive compounds with a HepG2-derived cell line expressing HBV S protein and efficiently secreting small spherical SVPs. The screen identified 24 compounds that reduced intracellular SVPs and secreted HBsAg in a concentration-dependent manner. However, 18 of those compounds inhibited the secretion of HBsAg and HBeAg in HBV replicon transfected HepG2 cells at similar efficiency, suggesting each of those compounds may disrupt a common cellular function required for the synthesis and/or secretion of these viral proteins. Interestingly, lycorine more efficiently inhibited the secretion of HBsAg in HepG2 cells transfected with HBV replicons, HepG2.2.15 cells and HBV infected - HepG2 cells expressing sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP). The structure activity relationship and antiviral mechanism of lycorine against HBV have been determined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sisi Yang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Julia Ma
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Fuxuan Wang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Qiong Zhao
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Yanming Du
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Jiming Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Ju-Tao Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Moianos D, Makri M, Prifti GM, Chiotellis A, Pappas A, Woodson ME, Tajwar R, Tavis JE, Zoidis G. N-Hydroxypiridinedione: A Privileged Heterocycle for Targeting the HBV RNase H. Molecules 2024; 29:2942. [PMID: 38931006 PMCID: PMC11206691 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122942] [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: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a global health threat. Ribonuclease H (RNase H), part of the virus polymerase protein, cleaves the pgRNA template during viral genome replication. Inhibition of RNase H activity prevents (+) DNA strand synthesis and results in the accumulation of non-functional genomes, terminating the viral replication cycle. RNase H, though promising, remains an under-explored drug target against HBV. We previously reported the identification of a series of N-hydroxypyridinedione (HPD) imines that effectively inhibit the HBV RNase H. In our effort to further explore the HPD scaffold, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated 18 novel HPD oximes, as well as 4 structurally related minoxidil derivatives and 2 barbituric acid counterparts. The new analogs were docked on the RNase H active site and all proved able to coordinate the two Mg2+ ions in the catalytic site. All of the new HPDs effectively inhibited the viral replication in cell assays exhibiting EC50 values in the low μM range (1.1-7.7 μM) with low cytotoxicity, resulting in selectivity indexes (SI) of up to 92, one of the highest reported to date among HBV RNase H inhibitors. Our findings expand the structure-activity relationships on the HPD scaffold, facilitating the development of even more potent anti-HBV agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Moianos
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece; (D.M.); (M.M.); (G.-M.P.)
| | - Maria Makri
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece; (D.M.); (M.M.); (G.-M.P.)
| | - Georgia-Myrto Prifti
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece; (D.M.); (M.M.); (G.-M.P.)
| | - Aristeidis Chiotellis
- Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15310 Athens, Greece; (A.C.); (A.P.)
| | - Alexandros Pappas
- Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15310 Athens, Greece; (A.C.); (A.P.)
| | - Molly E. Woodson
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA; (M.E.W.); (R.T.); (J.E.T.)
| | - Razia Tajwar
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA; (M.E.W.); (R.T.); (J.E.T.)
| | - John E. Tavis
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA; (M.E.W.); (R.T.); (J.E.T.)
| | - Grigoris Zoidis
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece; (D.M.); (M.M.); (G.-M.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Li G, Liu X, Lu F. What is the real sword of HBV precore and basal core promoter mutations piercing the hepatocyte homeostasis: HBcAg or HBsAg? J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29745. [PMID: 38884414 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Guixin Li
- Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Hepatology Institute, Infectious Disease and Hepatology Center of Peking University People's Hospital,Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Diseases, Beijing International Cooperation Base for Science and Technology on NAFLD Diagnosis, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Fengmin Lu
- Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Hepatology Institute, Infectious Disease and Hepatology Center of Peking University People's Hospital,Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Diseases, Beijing International Cooperation Base for Science and Technology on NAFLD Diagnosis, Beijing, China
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Shen S, Yan R, Xie Z, Yu X, Liang H, You Q, Zhang H, Hou J, Zhang X, Liu Y, Sun J, Guo H. Tripartite Motif-Containing Protein 65 (TRIM65) Inhibits Hepatitis B Virus Transcription. Viruses 2024; 16:890. [PMID: 38932182 PMCID: PMC11209081 DOI: 10.3390/v16060890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins, comprising a family of over 100 members with conserved motifs, exhibit diverse biological functions. Several TRIM proteins influence viral infections through direct antiviral mechanisms or by regulating host antiviral innate immune responses. To identify TRIM proteins modulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication, we assessed 45 human TRIMs in HBV-transfected HepG2 cells. Our study revealed that ectopic expression of 12 TRIM proteins significantly reduced HBV RNA and subsequent capsid-associated DNA levels. Notably, TRIM65 uniquely downregulated viral pregenomic (pg) RNA in an HBV-promoter-specific manner, suggesting a targeted antiviral effect. Mechanistically, TRIM65 inhibited HBV replication primarily at the transcriptional level via its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and intact B-box domain. Though HNF4α emerged as a potential TRIM65 substrate, disrupting its binding site on the HBV genome did not completely abolish TRIM65's antiviral effect. In addition, neither HBx expression nor cellular MAVS signaling was essential to TRIM65-mediated regulation of HBV transcription. Furthermore, CRISPR-mediated knock-out of TRIM65 in the HepG2-NTCP cells boosted HBV infection, validating its endogenous role. These findings underscore TRIM proteins' capacity to inhibit HBV transcription and highlight TRIM65's pivotal role in this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Shen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; (S.S.); (Z.X.); (H.L.); (Q.Y.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (X.Y.); (H.Z.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Ran Yan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Zhanglian Xie
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; (S.S.); (Z.X.); (H.L.); (Q.Y.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Xiaoyang Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (X.Y.); (H.Z.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Hongyan Liang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; (S.S.); (Z.X.); (H.L.); (Q.Y.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Qiuhong You
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; (S.S.); (Z.X.); (H.L.); (Q.Y.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Hu Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (X.Y.); (H.Z.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Jinlin Hou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; (S.S.); (Z.X.); (H.L.); (Q.Y.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xiaoyong Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; (S.S.); (Z.X.); (H.L.); (Q.Y.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Yuanjie Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (X.Y.); (H.Z.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Jian Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; (S.S.); (Z.X.); (H.L.); (Q.Y.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Haitao Guo
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (X.Y.); (H.Z.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Foko S. Dynamical analysis of a general delayed HBV infection model with capsids and adaptive immune response in presence of exposed infected hepatocytes. J Math Biol 2024; 88:75. [PMID: 38689137 PMCID: PMC11061075 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-024-02096-7] [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: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to develop and investigate a novel mathematical model of the dynamical behaviors of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. The model includes exposed infected hepatocytes, intracellular HBV DNA-containing capsids, uses a general incidence function for viral infection covering a variety of special cases available in the literature, and describes the interaction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes that kill the infected hepatocytes and the magnitude of B-cells that send antibody immune defense to neutralize free virions. Further, one time delay is incorporated to account for actual capsids production. The other time delays are used to account for maturation of capsids and free viruses. We start with the analysis of the proposed model by establishing the local and global existence, uniqueness, non-negativity and boundedness of solutions. After defined the threshold parameters, we discuss the stability properties of all possible steady state constants by using the crafty Lyapunov functionals, the LaSalle's invariance principle and linearization methods. The impacts of the three time delays on the HBV infection transmission are discussed through local and global sensitivity analysis of the basic reproduction number and of the classes of infected states. Finally, an application is provided and numerical simulations are performed to illustrate and interpret the theoretical results obtained. It is suggested that, a good strategy to eradicate or to control HBV infection within a host should concentrate on any drugs that may prolong the values of the three delays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Severin Foko
- Committed Mathematics Team, Research Unit in Mathematics and Applications, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, P.O. Box: 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
- School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, University of the Witwatersrand, 1 Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2000, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhang Y, Yuan X, Wang J, Han M, Lu H, Wang Y, Liu S, Yang S, Xing HC, Cheng J. TRPV4 promotes HBV replication and capsid assembly via methylation modification of H3K4 and HBc ubiquitin. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29510. [PMID: 38573018 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29510] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses a significant burden on global public health. Unfortunately, current treatments cannot fully alleviate this burden as they have limited effect on the transcriptional activity of the tenacious covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) responsible for viral persistence. Consequently, the HBV life cycle should be further investigated to develop new anti-HBV pharmaceutical targets. Our previous study discovered that the host gene TMEM203 hinders HBV replication by participating in calcium ion regulation. The involvement of intracellular calcium in HBV replication has also been confirmed. In this study, we found that transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) notably enhances HBV reproduction by investigating the effects of several calcium ion-related molecules on HBV replication. The in-depth study showed that TRPV4 promotes hepatitis B core/capsid protein (HBc) protein stability through the ubiquitination pathway and then promotes the nucleocapsid assembly. HBc binds to cccDNA and reduces the nucleosome spacing of the cccDNA-histones complex, which may regulate HBV transcription by altering the nucleosome arrangement of the HBV genome. Moreover, our results showed that TRPV4 promotes cccDNA-dependent transcription by accelerating the methylation modification of H3K4. In conclusion, TRPV4 could interact with HBV core protein and regulate HBV during transcription and replication. These data suggest that TRPV4 exerts multifaceted HBV-related synergistic factors and may serve as a therapeutic target for CHB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Hepatology, Beijing Ditan Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxue Yuan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Han
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongping Lu
- Beijing Pan-Asia Tongze Institute of Biomedicine Co, Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Wang
- Department of Hepatology, Beijing Ditan Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The First Section of Liver Disease, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shunai Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Song Yang
- Department of Hepatology, Beijing Ditan Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hui-Chun Xing
- Department of Hepatology, Beijing Ditan Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Cheng
- Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Hepatology, Beijing Ditan Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Giannakopoulou E, Pardali V, Edwards TC, Woodson M, Tajwar R, Tavis JE, Zoidis G. Identification and assessment of the 1,6-dihydroxy-pyridin-2-one moiety as privileged scaffold for HBV ribonuclease H inhibition. Antiviral Res 2024; 223:105833. [PMID: 38325606 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) ribonuclease H (RNase H) although promising remains an unexploited therapeutic target. HBV RNase H inhibition causes premature termination of viral minus-polarity DNA strands, prevents the synthesis of the viral positive-polarity DNA strand, and causes accumulation of RNA:DNA heteroduplexes within viral capsids. As part of our ongoing research to develop more potent anti-HBV RNase H inhibitors, we designed, synthesized and analyzed a library of 18 novel compounds (17 N-hydroyxpyridinedione (HPD) imine derivatives and 1 barbituric acid analogue) as potential leads for HBV treatment development. In cell assays, fourteen HPDs showed significant anti-HBV activity with EC50s from 1.1 to 2.5 μM and selectivity indices (SI) of up to 58. Three of them exhibited more than 3-fold improvement in the SI over the best previous HPD imine (SI = 13). To gain insight to the interaction between the tested compounds and the active site of HBV RNase H, docking experiments were undertaken. In almost all binding poses, the novel HPDs coordinated both active site Mg2+ ions via their oxygen trident. Furthermore, the novel HPDs displayed high cell permeability and solubility as well as good drug-like properties. These results reveal that HPD imines can be significantly active and selective HBV inhibitors, and that the HPD scaffold merits further development towards anti-HBV agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erofili Giannakopoulou
- School of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Pardali
- School of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Tiffany C Edwards
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63104, United States
| | - Molly Woodson
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63104, United States
| | - Razia Tajwar
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63104, United States
| | - John E Tavis
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63104, United States
| | - Grigoris Zoidis
- School of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wang J, Yuan X, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Han M, Lu H, Liu S, Zhang Y, Ge F, Liu Y, Cheng J. PreS1BP mediates inhibition of Hepatitis B virus replication by promoting HBx protein degradation. Virus Res 2024; 341:199326. [PMID: 38253259 PMCID: PMC10846407 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND PreS1-binding protein (PreS1BP), recognized as a nucleolar protein and tumor suppressor, influences the replication of various viruses, including vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Its role in hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and the underlying mechanisms, however, remain elusive. METHODS We investigated PreS1BP expression levels in an HBV-replicating cell and animal model and analyzed the impact of its overexpression on viral replication metrics. HBV DNA, covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg), and HBV RNA levels were assessed in HBV-expressing stable cell lines under varying PreS1BP conditions. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation and ubiquitination assays were used to detect PreS1BP- hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) interactions and HBx stability modulated by PreS1BP. RESULTS Our study revealed a marked decrease in PreS1BP expression in the presence of active HBV replication. Functional assays showed that PreS1BP overexpression significantly inhibited HBV replication and transcription, evidenced by the reduction in HBV DNA, cccDNA, HBsAg, HBcAg, and HBV RNA levels. At the molecular level, PreS1BP facilitated the degradation of HBx in a dose-dependent fashion, whereas siRNA-mediated knockdown of PreS1BP led to an increase in HBx levels. Subsequent investigations uncovered that PreS1BP accelerated HBx protein degradation via K63-linked ubiquitination in a ubiquitin-proteasome system-dependent manner. Co-immunoprecipitation assays further established that PreS1BP enhances the recruitment of the proteasome 20S subunit alpha 3 (PSMA3) for interaction with HBx, thereby fostering its degradation. CONCLUSIONS These findings unveil a previously unidentified mechanism wherein PreS1BP mediates HBx protein degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome system, consequentially inhibiting HBV replication. This insight positions PreS1BP as a promising therapeutic target for future HBV interventions. Further studies are warranted to explore the clinical applicability of modulating PreS1BP in HBV therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wang
- Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing 100015, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Xiaoxue Yuan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China; The Division of Liver Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Yun Wang
- The Division of Liver Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- The Division of Liver Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Ming Han
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China; The Division of Liver Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Hongping Lu
- Hebei Utu Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province 052165, China
| | - Shunai Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China; The Division of Liver Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Feilin Ge
- Department of Chinese Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100039, China.
| | - Jun Cheng
- Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing 100015, China; Hebei Utu Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province 052165, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Hu JL, Huang AL. Classifying hepatitis B therapies with insights from covalently closed circular DNA dynamics. Virol Sin 2024; 39:9-23. [PMID: 38110037 PMCID: PMC10877440 DOI: 10.1016/j.virs.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The achievement of a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains limited to a minority of patients treated with currently approved drugs. The primary objective in developing new anti-HBV drugs is to enhance the functional cure rates for CHB. A critical prerequisite for the functional cure of CHB is a substantial reduction, or even eradication of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). Within this context, the changes in cccDNA levels during treatment become as a pivotal concern. We have previously analyzed the factors influencing cccDNA dynamics and introduced a preliminary classification of hepatitis B treatment strategies based on these dynamics. In this review, we employ a systems thinking perspective to elucidate the fundamental aspects of the HBV replication cycle and to rationalize the classification of treatment strategies according to their impact on the dynamic equilibrium of cccDNA. Building upon this foundation, we categorize current anti-HBV strategies into two distinct groups and advocate for their combined use to significantly reduce cccDNA levels within a well-defined timeframe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie-Li Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Ai-Long Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yang L, Gong Y, Liu F, Chen W, Wang X, Long G, Li H, Xiao F, Lu M, Hu Y, Tong X, Zuo J. A novel phthalazinone derivative as a capsid assembly modulator inhibits hepatitis B virus expression. Antiviral Res 2024; 221:105763. [PMID: 38008192 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Development of new anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) drugs that target viral capsid assembly is a very active research field. We identify a novel phthalazinone derivative, compound 5832, as a potent HBV inhibitor. In this study, we intend to elaborate the antiviral effect and mechanism of 5832 against HBV in vitro and in vivo. Compound 5832 treatment induces the formation of genome-free empty capsid by interfering with the core protein assembly domain, which significantly decreases the extracellular and intracellular HBV DNA. In the AAV-HBV transduced mouse model, 5832 suppresses serum HBV DNA after 4-week treatment, and decreases HBsAg and HBeAg levels. 5832 treatment also reduces intrahepatic HBV RNA, DNA and HBcAg levels. During the follow-up period after treatment withdrawal, serum antigen levels demonstrated no increase. We demonstrate 5832 treatment could active apoptotic signaling by elevating the expression of death receptor 5 (DR5), which participated in corresponding HBcAg-positive hepatocyte eradication. Phthalazinone derivative 5832 may serve as a promising anti-HBV drug candidate to improve the treatment options for chronic HBV infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Yang
- Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200000,China
| | - Ying Gong
- Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Feifei Liu
- Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Wuhong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xinran Wang
- Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, No.138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Guozhang Long
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Heng Li
- Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Fuling Xiao
- Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - MengJi Lu
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, 45122, Germany
| | - Youhong Hu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China.
| | - Xiankun Tong
- Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Jianping Zuo
- Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 ZuChongZhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, No.138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Li Q, Tavis JE. In Vitro Enzymatic and Cell Culture-Based Assays for Measuring Activity of HBV Ribonuclease H Inhibitors. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2837:257-270. [PMID: 39044091 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4027-2_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
HBV is a small, enveloped DNA virus that replicates by reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate. Current anti-HBV treatment regiments employ interferon α or nucleos(t)ide analogs, but they are not curative, are of long duration, and can be accompanied by systemic side-effects. The HBV ribonuclease H (RNaseH) is essential for viral replication; however, it is unexploited as a drug target. RNaseH inhibitors that actively block viral replication would represent an important addition to the potential new drugs for treating HBV infection. Here, we describe two methods to measure the activity of RNaseH inhibitors. The DNA oligonucleotide-directed RNA cleavage assay allows mechanistic analysis of compounds for anti-HBV RNaseH activity. Analysis of preferential inhibition of plus-polarity DNA strand synthesis by HBV RNaseH inhibitors in a cell culture model of HBV replication can be used to measure the ability of RNaseH inhibitors to block viral replication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qilan Li
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Saint Louis University Liver Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - John E Tavis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Saint Louis University Liver Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Su YP, Lin SY, Su IJ, Kao YL, Shen SC, Earl JP, Ehrlich GD, Chen CY, Huang W, Su YH, Tsai HW. Characterization of integrated hepatitis B virus DNA harboring pre-S mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with ground glass hepatocytes. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29348. [PMID: 38180275 PMCID: PMC10802935 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29348] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Ground glass hepatocytes (GGHs) have been associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence and poor prognosis. We previously demonstrated that pre-S expression in some GGHs is resistant to current hepatitis B virus (HBV) antiviral therapies. This study aimed to investigate whether integrated HBV DNA (iDNA) is the primary HBV DNA species responsible for sustained pre-S expression in GGH after effective antiviral therapy. We characterized 10 sets of micro-dissected, formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded, and frozen GGH, HCC, and adjacent hepatitis B surface antigen-negative stained tissues for iDNA, pre-S deletions, and the quantity of covalently closed circular DNA. Eight patients had detectable pre-S deletions, and nine had detectable iDNA. Interestingly, eight patients had integrations within the TERT and CCNE1 genes, which are known recurrent integration sites associated with HCC. Furthermore, we observed a recurrent integration in the ABCC13 gene. Additionally, we identified variations in the type and quantity of pre-S deletions within individual sets of tissues by junction-specific PacBio long-read sequencing. The data from long-read sequencing indicate that some pre-S deletions were acquired following the integration events. Our findings demonstrate that iDNA exists in GGH and can be responsible for sustained pre-S expression in GGH after effective antiviral therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yih-Ping Su
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University, College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | | | - Ih-Jen Su
- Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science Technology, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Lan Kao
- The Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA, U.S.A
| | | | - Joshua P. Earl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University, College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Garth D. Ehrlich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University, College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Cheng-Yi Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Wenya Huang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Hsiu Su
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University, College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. and The Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA, U.S.A
| | - Hung-Wen Tsai
- Department of Pathology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yang S, Chang J, Zhang J, Guo JT. A Particle Gel Assay for Detection of Intracellular Hepatitis B Virus Subviral Particles in Cultured Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2837:89-97. [PMID: 39044077 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4027-2_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is due to the failure of host immune system to resolve the viral infection. Accordingly, restoration or reconstitution of a functional antiviral immune response to HBV is essential to achieve durable control of HBV replication leading to a functional cure of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Noninfectious subviral particles (SVPs), comprised of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), are the predominant viral products secreted by HBV-infected hepatocytes. The high levels of SVPs in the circulation induce immune tolerance and contribute to the establishment of chronic HBV infection. The current standard-of-care medications for CHB efficiently suppress HBV replication but fail to reduce the levels of HBsAg in majority of treated patients. Further understanding the mechanisms underlying SVP morphogenesis, secretion and regulation by viral and host cellular factors are critical for the discovery of therapeutics that can inhibit SVP production and/or induce the degradation of HBV envelope proteins. We describe herein a protocol for intracellular SVP detection by a native agarose gel electrophoresis-based particle gel assy. The method is suitable for quantitative detection of intracellular HBV SVPs and can be applied in dissecting the molecular mechanism of SVP morphogenesis and the discovery of antiviral agents targeting SVP formation in hepatocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Jiming Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ju-Tao Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Hong X, Mendenhall MA, Hu J. Detection of Hepatitis B Virus Covalently Closed Circular DNA and Intermediates in Its Formation. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2837:99-111. [PMID: 39044078 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4027-2_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global public health issue, and approximately 294 million individuals worldwide are chronically infected with HBV. Approved antivirals rarely cure chronic HBV infection due to their inability to eliminate the HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), the viral episome, in the nucleus of infected hepatocytes. The persistence of cccDNA underlies the chronic nature of HBV infection and the frequent relapse after the cessation of antiviral treatment. However, drug development targeting cccDNA formation and maintenance is hindered by the lack of sufficient biological knowledge on cccDNA, and of its reliable detection due to its low abundance and the presence of high levels of HBV DNA species similar to cccDNA. Here, we describe a Southern blot method for reliably detecting the HBV cccDNA even in the presence of high levels of plasmid DNA and other HBV DNA species, based on the efficient removal of plasmid DNA and all DNA species with free 3' ends. This approach also allows the detection of certain potential intermediates during cccDNA formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xupeng Hong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Megan A Mendenhall
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Jianming Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Abdelwahed AH, Heineman BD, Wu GY. Novel Approaches to Inhibition of HBsAg Expression from cccDNA and Chromosomal Integrants: A Review. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2023; 11:1485-1497. [PMID: 38161502 PMCID: PMC10752814 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2023.00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a widely prevalent liver infection that can cause acute or chronic hepatitis. Although current treatment modalities are highly effective in the suppression of viral levels, they cannot eliminate the virus or achieve definitive cure. This is a consequence of the complex nature of HBV-host interactions. Major challenges to achieving sustained viral suppression include the presence of a high viral burden from the HBV DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), the presence of reservoirs for HBV replication and antigen production, and the HBV-impaired innate and adaptive immune response of the host. Those therapeutic methods include cell entry inhibitors, HBsAg inhibitors, gene editing approaches, immune-targeting therapies and direct inhibitors of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). Novel approaches that target these key mechanisms are now being studied in preclinical and clinical phases. In this review article, we provide a comprehensive review on mechanisms by which HBV escapes elimination from current treatments, and highlight new agents to achieve a definitive HBV cure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed H. Abdelwahed
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Brent D. Heineman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - George Y. Wu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Bartosh UI, Dome AS, Zhukova NV, Karitskaya PE, Stepanov GA. CRISPR/Cas9 as a New Antiviral Strategy for Treating Hepatitis Viral Infections. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:334. [PMID: 38203503 PMCID: PMC10779197 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010334] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis is an inflammatory liver disease primarily caused by hepatitis A (HAV), B (HBV), C (HCV), D (HDV), and E (HEV) viruses. The chronic forms of hepatitis resulting from HBV and HCV infections can progress to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), while acute hepatitis can lead to acute liver failure, sometimes resulting in fatality. Viral hepatitis was responsible for over 1 million reported deaths annually. The treatment of hepatitis caused by viral infections currently involves the use of interferon-α (IFN-α), nucleoside inhibitors, and reverse transcriptase inhibitors (for HBV). However, these methods do not always lead to a complete cure for viral infections, and chronic forms of the disease pose significant treatment challenges. These facts underscore the urgent need to explore novel drug developments for the treatment of viral hepatitis. The discovery of the CRISPR/Cas9 system and the subsequent development of various modifications of this system have represented a groundbreaking advance in the quest for innovative strategies in the treatment of viral infections. This technology enables the targeted disruption of specific regions of the genome of infectious agents or the direct manipulation of cellular factors involved in viral replication by introducing a double-strand DNA break, which is targeted by guide RNA (spacer). This review provides a comprehensive summary of our current knowledge regarding the application of the CRISPR/Cas system in the regulation of viral infections caused by HAV, HBV, and HCV. It also highlights new strategies for drug development aimed at addressing both acute and chronic forms of viral hepatitis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Grigory A. Stepanov
- The Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; (U.I.B.); (A.S.D.); (N.V.Z.); (P.E.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Cui S, Xia T, Zhao J, Ren X, Wu T, Kameni M, Guo X, He L, Guo J, Duperray-Susini A, Levillayer F, Collard JM, Zhong J, Pan L, Tangy F, Vidalain PO, Zhou D, Jiu Y, Faure M, Wei Y. NDP52 mediates an antiviral response to hepatitis B virus infection through Rab9-dependent lysosomal degradation pathway. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8440. [PMID: 38114531 PMCID: PMC10730550 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44201-2] [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: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy receptor NDP52 triggers bacterial autophagy against infection. However, the ability of NDP52 to protect against viral infection has not been established. We show that NDP52 binds to envelope proteins of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and triggers a degradation process that promotes HBV clearance. Inactivating NDP52 in hepatocytes results in decreased targeting of viral envelopes in the lysosome and increased levels of viral replication. NDP52 inhibits HBV at both viral entry and late replication stages. In contrast to NDP52-mediated bacterial autophagy, lysosomal degradation of HBV envelopes is independent of galectin 8 and ATG5. NDP52 forms complex with Rab9 and viral envelope proteins and links HBV to Rab9-dependent lysosomal degradation pathway. These findings reveal that NDP52 acts as a sensor for HBV infection, which mediates a unique antiviral response to eliminate the virus. This work also suggests direct roles for autophagy receptors in other lysosomal degradation pathways than canonical autophagy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuzhi Cui
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Tian Xia
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Jianjin Zhao
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyu Ren
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Tingtao Wu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Mireille Kameni
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoju Guo
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Li He
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingao Guo
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Florence Levillayer
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Marc Collard
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Jin Zhong
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Lifeng Pan
- Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, 200032, Shanghai, China
| | - Frédéric Tangy
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Pierre-Olivier Vidalain
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75015, Paris, France
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, INSERM U1111, CNRS UMR5308, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Dongming Zhou
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
| | - Yaming Jiu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Mathias Faure
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, INSERM U1111, CNRS UMR5308, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Yu Wei
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China.
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75015, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Xia Y, Cheng X, Nilsson T, Zhang M, Zhao G, Inuzuka T, Teng Y, Li Y, Anderson DE, Holdorf M, Liang TJ. Nucleolin binds to and regulates transcription of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA minichromosome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306390120. [PMID: 38015841 PMCID: PMC10710063 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306390120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major public health threat with nearly 300 million people chronically infected worldwide who are at a high risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma. Current therapies are effective in suppressing HBV replication but rarely lead to cure. Current therapies do not affect the HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which serves as the template for viral transcription and replication and is highly stable in infected cells to ensure viral persistence. In this study, we aim to identify and elucidate the functional role of cccDNA-associated host factors using affinity purification and protein mass spectrometry in HBV-infected cells. Nucleolin was identified as a key cccDNA-binding protein and shown to play an important role in HBV cccDNA transcription, likely via epigenetic regulation. Targeting nucleolin to silence cccDNA transcription in infected hepatocytes may be a promising therapeutic strategy for a functional cure of HBV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Xia
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Institute of Medical Virology, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, TaiKang Medical School, Wuhan University, Wuhan430071, China
| | - Xiaoming Cheng
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Institute of Medical Virology, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, TaiKang Medical School, Wuhan University, Wuhan430071, China
| | - Tobias Nilsson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA94608
| | - Min Zhang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Gaihong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Institute of Medical Virology, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, TaiKang Medical School, Wuhan University, Wuhan430071, China
| | - Tadashi Inuzuka
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Yan Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Institute of Medical Virology, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, TaiKang Medical School, Wuhan University, Wuhan430071, China
| | - Yao Li
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - D. Eric Anderson
- Advanced Mass Spectrometry Core, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Meghan Holdorf
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA94608
| | - T. Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Woodson ME, Mottaleb MA, Murelli RP, Tavis JE. In vitro evaluation of tropolone absorption, metabolism, and clearance. Antiviral Res 2023; 220:105762. [PMID: 37996012 PMCID: PMC10843707 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105762] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Tropolone compounds can inhibit hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication at sub-micromolar levels and are synergistic upon co-treatment with nucleos(t)ide analog drugs. However, only a few compounds within this chemotype have been screened for their pharmacological properties. Here, we chose 36 structurally diverse tropolones from six subclasses to characterize their in vitro pharmacological parameters. All compounds were more soluble in pHs that reflect the gastrointestinal tract (pH 5 and 6.5) than plasma (pH 7.4). Those compounds that had solubility limits >100 μM were tested in a passive permeability assay, and there was no general trend in the compounds' passive permeability at any pH. Twenty-nine compounds with the best absorption parameters were tested in HEK293 cells to assess potential cytotoxicity; measured toxicities were similar to those in the hepatic HepDES19 cells used for screening (R2 = 0.55). Sixteen representative compounds were tested against five major CYP450 isoforms and there was no substantial inhibition by any compound against any of the enzymes tested (<50%). The t1/2 values of 15 compounds were determined in the microsome stability assay and 12 compounds were evaluated in plasma protein binding assays to assess factors affecting their rate of clearance. All compounds with detectable analyte peaks had t1/2 > 30 min, and while 4 of 12 had statistically significant decreased potency in conditions with increased albumin concentrations, only one compound's potency was biologically significant. These data indicate that the tropolones have pharmacological characteristics that reflect approved drugs and inform future structure activity relationships during drug design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly E Woodson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - M Abdul Mottaleb
- Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ryan P Murelli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA; The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - John E Tavis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Shen S, Liu W, Zeng G, Liang H, Yu X, Zhang H, Sun J, Guo H. Conditional replication and secretion of hepatitis B virus genome uncover the truncated 3' terminus of encapsidated viral pregenomic RNA. J Virol 2023; 97:e0076023. [PMID: 37754759 PMCID: PMC10617516 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00760-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The biogenesis and clinical application of serum HBV pgRNA have been a research hotspot in recent years. This study further characterized the heterogeneity of the 3' terminus of capsid RNA by utilizing a variety of experimental systems conditionally supporting HBV genome replication and secretion, and reveal that the 3' truncation of capsid pgRNA is catalyzed by cellular ribonuclease(s) and viral RNaseH at positions after and before 3' DR1, respectively, indicating the 3' DR1 as a boundary between the encapsidated portion of pgRNA for reverse transcription and the 3' unprotected terminus, which is independent of pgRNA length and the 3' terminal sequence. Thus, our study provides new insights into the mechanism of pgRNA encapsidation and reverse transcription, as well as the optimization of serum HBV RNA diagnostics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Shen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Wendong Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ge Zeng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongyan Liang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyang Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hu Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jian Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haitao Guo
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Patil VS, Harish DR, Charla R, Vetrivel U, Jalalpure SS, Bhandare VV, Deshpande SH, Hegde HV, Roy S. Structural insights into modeling of hepatitis B virus reverse transcriptase and identification of its inhibitors from potential medicinal plants of Western Ghats: an in silico and in vitro study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-19. [PMID: 37811543 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2264400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The present study was proposed to model full-length HBV-RT and investigate the intermolecular interactions of known inhibitor and libraries of phytocompounds to probe the potential natural leads by in silico and in vitro studies. Homology modeling of RT was performed by Phyre2 and Modeller and virtual screening of ligands implemented through POAP pipeline. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation (100 ns) and MM-GBSA calculations were performed using Schrodinger Desmond and Prime, respectively. Phytocompounds probable host protein targets gene set pathway enrichment and network analysis were executed by KEGG database and Cytoscape software. Prioritized plant extracts/enriched fraction LC-MS analysis was performed and along with pure compound, RT inhibitory activity, time-dependent HBsAg and HBeAg secretion, and intracellular HBV DNA, and pgRNA by qRT-PCR was performed in HepG2.2.15 cell line. Among the screened chemical library of 268 phytocompounds from 18 medicinal plants, 15 molecules from Terminalia chebula (6), Bidens pilosa (5), and Centella asiatica (4)) were identified as potential inhibitors of YMDD and RT1 motif of HBV-RT. MD simulation demonstrated stable interactions of 15 phytocompounds with HBV-RT, of which 1,2,3,4,6-Pentagalloyl Glucose (PGG) was identified as lead molecule. Out of 15 compounds, 11 were predicted to modulate 39 proteins and 15 molecular pathways associated with HBV infection. TCN and TCW (500 µg/mL) showed potent RT inhibition, decreased intracellular HBV DNA, and pgRNA, and time-dependent inhibition of HBsAg and HBeAg levels compared to PGG and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate. We propose that the identified lead molecules from T. chebula as promising and cost-effective moieties for the management of HBV infection.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vishal S Patil
- ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
- KLE College of Pharmacy, Belagavi, KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Rajitha Charla
- ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| | - Umashankar Vetrivel
- ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
- ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sunil S Jalalpure
- KLE College of Pharmacy, Belagavi, KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| | - Vishwambhar Vishnu Bhandare
- ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
- Department of Microbiology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Sanjay H Deshpande
- ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Harsha V Hegde
- ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| | - Subarna Roy
- ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Jones T, Tavis JE, Li Q, Riabova O, Monakhova N, Bradley DP, Lane TR, Makarov V, Ekins S. Antiviral Evaluation of Dispirotripiperazines against Hepatitis B Virus. J Med Chem 2023; 66:12459-12467. [PMID: 37611244 PMCID: PMC11017374 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a hepatotropic DNA virus that replicates by reverse transcription. It chronically infects >296 million people worldwide, including ∼850,000 in the USA, and kills 820,000 annually worldwide. Current nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) or pegylated interferon α therapies do not eradicate the virus and would benefit from a complementary antiviral drug. We performed a preliminary screen of 28 dispirotripiperazines against HBV, identifying 9 hits with EC50 of 0.7-25 μM. Compound 11826096 displays the most potent activity and represents a promising lead for future optimization. While the mechanism of action is unknown, preliminary assays limit possible targets to activities involved in RNA accumulation, translation, capsid assembly, and/or capsid stability. In addition, we built machine learning models to determine if they were able to predict the activity of this series of compounds. The novelty of these molecules indicated they were outside of the applicability domain of these models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thane Jones
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals Inc., 840 Main Campus Dr., Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - John E. Tavis
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Qilan Li
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Olga Riabova
- Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, Leninsky Prospekt 33-2, 119071, Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia Monakhova
- Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, Leninsky Prospekt 33-2, 119071, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daniel P. Bradley
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Thomas R. Lane
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals Inc., 840 Main Campus Dr., Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Vadim Makarov
- Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, Leninsky Prospekt 33-2, 119071, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals Inc., 840 Main Campus Dr., Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Makokha GN, Chayama K, Hayes CN, Abe-Chayama H, Abuduwaili M, Hijikata M. Deficiency of SCAP inhibits HBV pathogenesis via activation of the interferon signaling pathway. Virology 2023; 585:248-258. [PMID: 37437369 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects the liver and is a major risk factor for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Approaches for an effective cure are thwarted by limited knowledge of virus-host interactions. Herein, we identified SCAP as a novel host factor that regulates HBV gene expression. SCAP, sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) cleavage-activating protein, is an integral membrane protein located in the endoplasmic reticulum. The protein plays a central role in controlling lipid synthesis and uptake by cells. We found that gene silencing of SCAP significantly inhibited HBV replication; furthermore, knockdown of SREBP2 but not SREBP1, the downstream effectors of SCAP, reduced HBs antigen production from HBV infected primary hepatocytes. We also demonstrated that knockdown of SCAP resulted in activation of interferons (IFNs) and IFN stimulated genes (ISGs). Conversely, ectopic expression of SREBP2 in SCAP-deficient cells restored expression of IFNs and ISGs. Importantly, expression of SREBP2 restored HBV production in SCAP knockdown cells, suggesting that SCAP participates in HBV replication through an effect on IFN production via its downstream effector SREBP2. This observation was further confirmed by blocking IFN signaling by an anti-IFN antibody, which restored HBV infection in SCAP-deficient cells. This led to the conclusion that SCAP regulates the IFN pathway through SREBP, thereby affecting the HBV lifecycle. This is the first study to reveal the involvement of SCAP in regulation of HBV infection. These results may facilitate development of new antiviral strategies against HBV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grace Naswa Makokha
- Laboratory of Medical Innovation, Department of Collaborative Research, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
| | - Kazuaki Chayama
- Laboratory of Medical Innovation, Department of Collaborative Research, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - C Nelson Hayes
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiromi Abe-Chayama
- Center for Medical Specialist Graduate Education and Research, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Maidina Abuduwaili
- Laboratory of Medical Innovation, Department of Collaborative Research, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Makoto Hijikata
- Laboratory of Medical Innovation, Department of Collaborative Research, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Lee GS, Purdy MA, Choi Y. Cell Culture Systems for Studying Hepatitis B and Hepatitis D Virus Infections. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1527. [PMID: 37511902 PMCID: PMC10381383 DOI: 10.3390/life13071527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) infections cause liver disease, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV infection remains a major global health problem. In 2019, 296 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B and about 5% of them were co-infected with HDV. In vitro cell culture systems are instrumental in the development of therapeutic targets. Cell culture systems contribute to identifying molecular mechanisms for HBV and HDV propagation, finding drug targets for antiviral therapies, and testing antiviral agents. Current HBV therapeutics, such as nucleoside analogs, effectively suppress viral replication but are not curative. Additionally, no effective treatment for HDV infection is currently available. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop therapies to treat both viral infections. A robust in vitro cell culture system supporting HBV and HDV infections (HBV/HDV) is a critical prerequisite to studying HBV/HDV pathogenesis, the complete life cycle of HBV/HDV infections, and consequently identifying new therapeutics. However, the lack of an efficient cell culture system hampers the development of novel antiviral strategies for HBV/HDV infections. In vitro cell culture models have evolved with significant improvements over several decades. Recently, the development of the HepG2-NTCP sec+ cell line, expressing the sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide receptor (NTCP) and self-assembling co-cultured primary human hepatocytes (SACC-PHHs) has opened new perspectives for a better understanding of HBV and HDV lifecycles and the development of specific antiviral drug targets against HBV/HDV infections. We address various cell culture systems along with different cell lines and how these cell culture systems can be used to provide better tools for HBV and HDV studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grace Sanghee Lee
- Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Michael A Purdy
- Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Youkyung Choi
- Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Zhang J, Zhang Y, Khanal S, Cao D, Zhao J, Dang X, Nguyen LNT, Schank M, Wu XY, Jiang Y, Ning S, Wang L, El Gazzar M, Moorman JP, Guo H, Yao ZQ. Synthetic gRNA/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein targeting HBV DNA inhibits viral replication. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28952. [PMID: 37455550 PMCID: PMC10977344 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28952] [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: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA (cccDNA), which serves as a template for viral replication and integration of HBV DNA into the host cell genome, sustains liver pathogenesis and constitutes an intractable barrier to the eradication of chronic HBV infection. The current antiviral therapy for HBV infection, using nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs), can suppress HBV replication but cannot eliminate integrated HBV DNA and episomal cccDNA. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 is a powerful genetic tool that can edit integrated HBV DNA and minichromosomal cccDNA for gene therapy, but its expression and delivery require a viral vector, which poses safety concerns for therapeutic applications in humans. In the present study, we used synthetic guide RNA (gRNA)/Cas9-ribonucleoprotein (RNP) as a nonviral formulation to develop a novel CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene therapy for eradicating HBV infection. We designed a series of gRNAs targeting multiple specific HBV genes and tested their antiviral efficacy and cytotoxicity in different HBV cellular models. Transfection of stably HBV-infected human hepatoma cell line HepG2.2.15 with HBV-specific gRNA/Cas9 RNPs resulted in a substantial reduction in HBV transcripts. Specifically, gRNA5 and/or gRNA9 RNPs significantly reduced HBV cccDNA, total HBV DNA, pregenomic RNA, and HBV antigen (HBsAg, HBeAg) levels. T7 endonuclease 1 (T7E1) cleavage assay and DNA sequencing confirmed specific HBV gene cleavage and mutations at or around the gRNA target sites. Notably, this gene-editing system did not alter cellular viability or proliferation in the treated cells. Because of their rapid DNA cleavage capability, low off-target effects, low risk of insertional mutagenesis, and readiness for use in clinical application, these results suggest that synthetic gRNA/Cas9 RNP-based gene-editing can be utilized as a promising therapeutic drug for eradicating chronic HBV infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinyu Zhang
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Yi Zhang
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Sushant Khanal
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Dechao Cao
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Juan Zhao
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Xindi Dang
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Lam Ngoc Thao Nguyen
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Madison Schank
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Xiao Y. Wu
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Yong Jiang
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Shunbin Ning
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Ling Wang
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Mohamed El Gazzar
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Jonathan P. Moorman
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- HCV/HBV/HIV Program, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| | - Haitao Guo
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Zhi Q. Yao
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
- HCV/HBV/HIV Program, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Li J, Li J, Chen S, Xu W, Zhang J, Tong S. Clinical isolates of hepatitis B virus genotype C have higher in vitro transmission efficiency than genotype B isolates. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28879. [PMID: 37314050 PMCID: PMC10404337 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28879] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Serum samples were collected from 54 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive Chinese patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) subgenotype B2 or C2. They were compared for transmission efficiency using same volume of samples or infectivity using same genome copy number. Adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) during inoculation did not increase infectivity of fresh samples but markedly increased infectivity following prolonged sample storage. Differentiated HepaRG cells infected without PEG produced more hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and higher HBsAg/HBeAg ratio than sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP)-reconstituted HepG2 cells infected with PEG. They better supported replication of core promoter mutant in contrast to wild-type (WT) virus by HepG2/NTCP cells. Overall, subgenotype C2 samples had higher viral load than B2 samples, and in general produced more HBeAg, HBsAg, and replicative DNA following same-volume inoculation. Precore mutant was more prevalent in subgenotype B2 and had reduced transmission efficiency. When same genome copy number of viral particles was inoculated, viral signals were not necessarily higher for three WT C2 isolates than four WT B2 isolates. Using viral particles generated from cloned HBV genome, three WT C2 isolates showed slightly reduced infectivity than three B2 isolates. In conclusion, subgenotype C2 serum samples had higher transmission efficiency than B2 isolates in association with higher viral load and lower prevalence of precore mutant, but not necessarily higher infectivity. PEG-independent infection by HBV viremic serum samples is probably attributed to a labile host factor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
- Liver Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710061, China
| | - Jisu Li
- Liver Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| | - Shiqi Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Weicheng Xu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710061, China
| | - Jiming Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Shuping Tong
- Liver Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Yu J, Shen Z, Chen S, Liu H, Du Z, Mao R, Wang J, Zhang Y, Zhu H, Yang S, Li J, Wu J, Dong M, Zhu M, Huang Y, Li J, Yuan Z, Xie Y, Lu M, Zhang J. Inhibition of HBV replication by EVA1A via enhancing cellular degradation of HBV components and its potential therapeutic application. Antiviral Res 2023:105643. [PMID: 37236321 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA is much higher during HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection (EP-CBI) than during HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection (EN-CBI), although the necroinflammation in liver is minimal and the adaptive immune response is similar in both phases. We previously reported that mRNA levels of EVA1A were higher in EN-CBI patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether EVA1A inhibits HBV gene expression and examine the underlying mechanisms. The available cell models for HBV replication and model HBV mice were used to investigate how EVA1A regulates HBV replication and the antiviral activity based on gene therapy. The signaling pathway was determined through RNA sequencing analysis. The results demonstrated that EVA1A can inhibit HBV gene expression in vitro and in vivo. In particular, EVA1A overexpression resulted in accelerated HBV RNA degradation and activation of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway, two processes that directly and indirectly inhibiting HBV gene expression. EVA1A is a promising candidate for treating chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In conclusion, EVA1A is a new host restriction factor that regulates the HBV life cycle via a nonimmune process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongliang Shen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Shiqi Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongyan Liu
- Hepatology Unit and Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zunguo Du
- Department of Pathology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Richeng Mao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinyu Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongmei Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoxiang Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sisi Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingwen Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Minhui Dong
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengqi Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxian Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (Ministry of Education/National Health Commission/Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenghong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (Ministry of Education/National Health Commission/Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Youhua Xie
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (Ministry of Education/National Health Commission/Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Mengji Lu
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Jiming Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Yu Y, Schneider WM, Kass MA, Michailidis E, Acevedo A, Pamplona Mosimann AL, Bordignon J, Koenig A, Livingston CM, van Gijzel H, Ni Y, Ambrose PM, Freije CA, Zhang M, Zou C, Kabbani M, Quirk C, Jahan C, Wu X, Urban S, You S, Shlomai A, de Jong YP, Rice CM. An RNA-based system to study hepatitis B virus replication and evaluate antivirals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg6265. [PMID: 37043562 PMCID: PMC10096565 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg6265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) chronically infects an estimated 300 million people, and standard treatments are rarely curative. Infection increases the risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and consequently, nearly 1 million people die each year from chronic hepatitis B. Tools and approaches that bring insights into HBV biology and facilitate the discovery and evaluation of antiviral drugs are in demand. Here, we describe a method to initiate the replication of HBV, a DNA virus, using synthetic RNA. This approach eliminates contaminating background signals from input virus or plasmid DNA that plagues existing systems and can be used to study multiple stages of HBV replication. We further demonstrate that this method can be uniquely applied to identify sequence variants that confer resistance to antiviral drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingpu Yu
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - William M. Schneider
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Maximilian A. Kass
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eleftherios Michailidis
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ashley Acevedo
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ana L. Pamplona Mosimann
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Juliano Bordignon
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Alexander Koenig
- Infectious Diseases Research Unit, GSK, Upper Providence, PA 19426, USA
| | | | | | - Yi Ni
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Pradeep M. Ambrose
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics, and Systems Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Catherine A. Freije
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mengyin Zhang
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Chenhui Zou
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mohammad Kabbani
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Corrine Quirk
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Cyprien Jahan
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Xianfang Wu
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Stephan Urban
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shihyun You
- Infectious Diseases Research Unit, GSK, Upper Providence, PA 19426, USA
| | - Amir Shlomai
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ype P. de Jong
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Charles M. Rice
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Wang L, Zhu Q, Zhang JD, Zhang Y, Ni X, Xiang K, Jiang J, Li B, Yu Y, Hu H, Zhang M, Wu W, Zeng J, Yan Z, Dai J, Sun K, Zhang X, Chen D, Feng S, Sach-Peltason L, Young JAT, Gao L. Discovery of a first-in-class orally available HBV cccDNA inhibitor. J Hepatol 2023; 78:742-753. [PMID: 36587899 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The persistence of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in infected hepatocytes is the major barrier preventing viral eradication with existing therapies in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Therapeutic agents that can eliminate cccDNA are urgently needed to achieve viral eradication and thus HBV cure. METHODS A phenotypic assay with HBV-infected primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) was employed to screen for novel cccDNA inhibitors. A HBVcircle mouse model and a uPA-SCID (urokinase-type plasminogen activator-severe combined immunodeficiency) humanized liver mouse model were used to evaluate the anti-HBV efficacy of the discovered cccDNA inhibitors. RESULTS Potent and dose-dependent reductions in extracellular HBV DNA, HBsAg, and HBeAg levels were achieved upon the initiation of ccc_R08 treatment two days after the HBV infection of PHHs. More importantly, the level of cccDNA was specifically reduced by ccc_R08, while it did not obviously affect mitochondrial DNA. Additionally, ccc_R08 showed no significant cytotoxicity in PHHs or in multiple proliferating cell lines. The twice daily oral administration of ccc_R08 to HBVcircle model mice, which contained surrogate cccDNA molecules, significantly decreased the serum levels of HBV DNA and antigens, and these effects were sustained during the off-treatment follow-up period. Moreover, at the end of follow-up, the levels of surrogate cccDNA molecules in the livers of ccc_R08-treated HBVcircle mice were reduced to below the lower limit of quantification. CONCLUSIONS We have discovered a small-molecule cccDNA inhibitor that reduces HBV cccDNA levels. cccDNA inhibitors potentially represent a new approach to completely cure patients chronically infected with HBV. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) persistence in HBV-infected hepatocytes is the root cause of chronic hepatitis B. We discovered a novel small-molecule cccDNA inhibitor that can specifically reduce cccDNA levels in HBV-infected hepatocytes. This type of molecule could offer a new approach to completely cure patients chronically infected with HBV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Infectious Disease Discovery
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hui Hu
- Infectious Disease Discovery
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xin Zhang
- Preclinical Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls
| | | | | | - Lisa Sach-Peltason
- Data & Analytics, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Innovation Center Basel
| | | | - Lu Gao
- Infectious Disease Discovery.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Zhao K, Guo F, Wang J, Zhong Y, Yi J, Teng Y, Xu Z, Zhao L, Li A, Wang Z, Chen X, Cheng X, Xia Y. Limited disassembly of cytoplasmic hepatitis B virus nucleocapsids restricts viral infection in murine hepatic cells. Hepatology 2023; 77:1366-1381. [PMID: 35718932 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Murine hepatic cells cannot support hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection even with supplemental expression of viral receptor, human sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (hNTCP). However, the specific restricted step remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to dissect HBV infection process in murine hepatic cells. APPROACH AND RESULTS Cells expressing hNTCP were inoculated with HBV or hepatitis delta virus (HDV). HBV pregenomic RNA (pgRNA), covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), and different relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) intermediates were produced in vitro . The repair process from rcDNA to cccDNA was assayed by in vitro repair experiments and in mouse with hydrodynamic injection. Southern blotting and in situ hybridization were used to detect HBV DNA. HBV, but not its satellite virus HDV, was restricted from productive infection in murine hepatic cells expressing hNTCP. Transfection of HBV pgRNA could establish HBV replication in human, but not in murine, hepatic cells. HBV replication-competent plasmid, cccDNA, and recombinant cccDNA could support HBV transcription in murine hepatic cells. Different rcDNA intermediates could be repaired to form cccDNA both in vitro and in vivo . In addition, rcDNA could be detected in the nucleus of murine hepatic cells, but cccDNA could not be formed. Interestingly, nuclease sensitivity assay showed that the protein-linked rcDNA isolated from cytoplasm was completely nuclease resistant in murine, but not in human, hepatic cells. CONCLUSIONS Our results imply that the disassembly of cytoplasmic HBV nucleocapsids is restricted in murine hepatic cells. Overcoming this limitation may help to establish an HBV infection mouse model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| | - Fangteng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| | - Youquan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| | - Junzhu Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| | - Yan Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| | - Zaichao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| | - Li Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| | - Aixin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| | - Zichen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| | - Xinwen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology , Wuhan Institute of Virology , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Wuhan , China
- Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guangzhou , China
| | - Xiaoming Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
- Wuhan University Center for Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics , Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
- Hubei Clinical Center and Key Laboratory of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases , Wuhan , China
| | - Yuchen Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology , Institute of Medical Virology , TaiKang Medical School , Wuhan University , Wuhan , China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Yu X, Long Q, Shen S, Liu Z, Chandran J, Zhang J, Ding H, Zhang H, Cai D, Kim ES, Huang Y, Guo H. Screening of an epigenetic compound library identifies BRD4 as a potential antiviral target for hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA transcription. Antiviral Res 2023; 211:105552. [PMID: 36737008 PMCID: PMC10036215 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105552] [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: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
HBV cccDNA is the persistent form of viral genome, which exists in host cell nucleus as an episomal minichromosome decorated with histone and non-histone proteins. cccDNA is the authentic viral transcription template and resistant to current antivirals. Growing evidence shows that the transcriptional activity of cccDNA minichromosome undergoes epigenetic regulations, suggesting a new perspective for anti-cccDNA drug development through targeting histone modifications. In this study, we screened an epigenetic compound library in the cccDNA reporter cell line HepBHAe82, which produces the HA-tagged HBeAg in a cccDNA-dependent manner. Among the obtained hits, a bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) inhibitor MS436 exhibited marked inhibition of cccDNA transcription in both HBV stable cell line HepAD38 and HepG2-NTCP or primary human hepatocyte infection system under noncytotoxic concentrations. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay demonstrated that MS436 dramatically reduced the enrichment of H3K27ac, an activating histone modification pattern, on cccDNA minichromosome. RNAseq differential analysis showed that MS436 does not drastically change host transcriptome or induce any known anti-HBV factors/pathways, indicating a direct antiviral effect of MS436 on cccDNA minichromosome. Interestingly, the MS436-mediated inhibition of cccDNA transcription is accompanied by cccDNA destabilization in HBV infection and a recombinant cccDNA system, indicating that BRD4 activity may also play a role in cccDNA maintenance. Furthermore, depletion of BRD4 by siRNA knockdown or PROTAC degrader resulted in cccDNA inhibition in HBV-infected HepG2-NTCP cells, further validating BRD4 as an antiviral target. Taken together, our study has demonstrated the practicability of HepBHAe82-based anti-HBV drug screening system and provided a proof-of-concept for targeting HBV cccDNA with epigenetic compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Quanxin Long
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sheng Shen
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Zhentao Liu
- Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jithin Chandran
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Junjie Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Hao Ding
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Hu Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Dawei Cai
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Elena S Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yufei Huang
- Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Haitao Guo
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Heat Shock Protein Family A Member 1 Promotes Intracellular Amplification of Hepatitis B Virus Covalently Closed Circular DNA. J Virol 2023; 97:e0126122. [PMID: 36519896 PMCID: PMC9888207 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01261-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) contains a partially double-stranded relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) genome that is converted into a covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in the nucleus of the infected hepatocyte by cellular DNA repair machinery. cccDNA associates with nucleosomes to form a minichromosome that transcribes RNA to support the expression of viral proteins and reverse transcriptional replication of viral DNA. In addition to the de novo synthesis from incoming virion rcDNA, cccDNA can also be synthesized from rcDNA in the progeny nucleocapsids within the cytoplasm of infected hepatocytes via the intracellular amplification pathway. In our efforts to identify cellular DNA repair proteins required for cccDNA synthesis using a chemogenetic screen, we found that B02, a small-molecule inhibitor of DNA homologous recombination repair protein RAD51, significantly enhanced the synthesis of cccDNA via the intracellular amplification pathway in human hepatoma cells. Ironically, neither small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of RAD51 expression nor treatment with another structurally distinct RAD51 inhibitor or activator altered cccDNA amplification. Instead, it was found that B02 treatment significantly elevated the levels of multiple heat shock protein mRNA, and siRNA knockdown of HSPA1 expression or treatment with HSPA1 inhibitors significantly attenuated B02 enhancement of cccDNA amplification. Moreover, B02-enhanced cccDNA amplification was efficiently inhibited by compounds that selectively inhibit DNA polymerase α or topoisomerase II, the enzymes required for cccDNA intracellular amplification. Our results thus indicate that B02 treatment induces a heat shock protein-mediated cellular response that positively regulates the conversion of rcDNA into cccDNA via the authentic intracellular amplification pathway. IMPORTANCE Elimination or functional inactivation of cccDNA minichromosomes in HBV-infected hepatocytes is essential for the cure of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, lack of knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of cccDNA metabolism and regulation hampers the development of antiviral drugs to achieve this therapeutic goal. Our findings reported here imply that enhanced cccDNA amplification may occur under selected pathobiological conditions, such as cellular stress, to subvert the dilution or elimination of cccDNA and maintain the persistence of HBV infection. Therapeutic inhibition of HSPA1-enhanced cccDNA amplification under these pathobiological conditions should facilitate the elimination of cccDNA and cure of chronic hepatitis B.
Collapse
|
34
|
Pregenomic RNA Launch Hepatitis B Virus Replication System Facilitates the Mechanistic Study of Antiviral Agents and Drug-Resistant Variants on Covalently Closed Circular DNA Synthesis. J Virol 2022; 96:e0115022. [PMID: 36448800 PMCID: PMC9769369 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01150-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) replicates its genomic DNA by reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate, termed pregenomic RNA (pgRNA), within nucleocapsid. It had been shown that transfection of in vitro-transcribed pgRNA initiated viral replication in human hepatoma cells. We demonstrated here that viral capsids, single-stranded DNA, relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) became detectable sequentially at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h post-pgRNA transfection into Huh7.5 cells. The levels of viral DNA replication intermediates and cccDNA peaked at 24 and 48 h post-pgRNA transfection, respectively. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) became detectable in culture medium at day 4 posttransfection. Interestingly, the early robust viral DNA replication and cccDNA synthesis did not depend on the expression of HBV X protein (HBx), whereas HBsAg production was strictly dependent on viral DNA replication and expression of HBx, consistent with the essential role of HBx in the transcriptional activation of cccDNA minichromosomes. While the robust and synchronized HBV replication within 48 h post-pgRNA transfection is particularly suitable for the precise mapping of the HBV replication steps, from capsid assembly to cccDNA formation, targeted by distinct antiviral agents, the treatment of cells starting at 48 h post-pgRNA transfection allows the assessment of antiviral agents on mature nucleocapsid uncoating, cccDNA synthesis, and transcription, as well as viral RNA stability. Moreover, the pgRNA launch system could be used to readily assess the impacts of drug-resistant variants on cccDNA formation and other replication steps in the viral life cycle. IMPORTANCE Hepadnaviral pgRNA not only serves as a template for reverse transcriptional replication of viral DNA but also expresses core protein and DNA polymerase to support viral genome replication and cccDNA synthesis. Not surprisingly, cytoplasmic expression of duck hepatitis B virus pgRNA initiated viral replication leading to infectious virion secretion. However, HBV replication and antiviral mechanism were studied primarily in human hepatoma cells transiently or stably transfected with plasmid-based HBV replicons. The presence of large amounts of transfected HBV DNA or transgenes in cellular chromosomes hampered the robust analyses of HBV replication and cccDNA function. As demonstrated here, the pgRNA launch HBV replication system permits the accurate mapping of antiviral target and investigation of cccDNA biosynthesis and transcription using secreted HBsAg as a convenient quantitative marker. The effect of drug-resistant variants on viral capsid assembly, genome replication, and cccDNA biosynthesis and function can also be assessed using this system.
Collapse
|
35
|
Wang S, Ren Y, Li Q, Wang Y, Jiang X, Xu S, Zhang X, Zhao S, Bradley DP, Woodson ME, Zhao F, Wu S, Li Y, Tian Y, Liu X, Tavis JE, Zhan P. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel sulfamoylbenzamide derivatives as HBV capsid assembly modulators. Bioorg Chem 2022; 129:106192. [PMID: 36265355 PMCID: PMC10591450 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Capsid assembly modulators (CAMs) represent a novel class of antiviral agents targeting hepatitis B virus (HBV) capsid to disrupt the assembly process. NVR 3-778 is the first CAM to demonstrate antiviral activity in patients infected with HBV. However, the relatively low aqueous solubility and moderate activity in the human body halted further development of NVR 3-778. To improve the anti-HBV activity and the drug-like properties of NVR 3-778, we designed and synthesized a series of NVR 3-778 derivatives. Notably, phenylboronic acid-bearing compound 7b (EC50 = 0.83 ± 0.33 µM, CC50 = 19.4 ± 5.0 µM) displayed comparable anti-HBV activity to NVR 3-778 (EC50 = 0.73 ± 0.20 µM, CC50 = 23.4 ± 7.0 µM). Besides, 7b showed improved water solubility (328.8 µg/mL, pH 7) compared to NVR 3-778 (35.8 µg/mL, pH 7). Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and quantification of encapsidated viral RNA were used to demonstrate that 7b behaves as a class II CAM similar to NVR 3-778. Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to rationalize the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of these novel derivatives and to understand their key interactions with the binding pocket, which provide useful indications for guiding the further rational design of more effective anti-HBV drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Yujie Ren
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Qilan Li
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100, S. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Ya Wang
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100050 Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiangyi Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Shujing Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xujie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Shujie Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Daniel P Bradley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100, S. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Molly E Woodson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100, S. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Fabao Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Shuo Wu
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100050 Beijing, PR China
| | - Yuhuan Li
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100050 Beijing, PR China
| | - Ye Tian
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
| | - John E Tavis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100, S. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA.
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Hu J, Wang H, Yang L, Wu S, Li Y, Li Y, Li Z. Compound IMB-Z inhibits hepatitis B virus replication through increasing APOBEC3G expression and incorporation into viral nucleocapsids. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2022; 31:371-378. [PMID: 36396043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2022.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES As a host restriction factor, apolipoprotein B messenger RNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G or A3G) has been shown to suppress the replication of several viruses including hepatitis B virus (HBV). Recently, we reported that IMB-Z, a N-phenylbenzamide derivative, could inhibit Enterovirus 71 replication, and A3G mediated its antiviral activity. Whether IMB-Z exhibits an inhibitory effect on HBV replication has not been investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS HBV DNA, pregenomic RNA (pgRNA), core protein, and capsid levels were determined by a qPCR assay or Southern blot, Northern blot, Western blot, and particle gel assay, respectively. Mutation analysis of HBV DNAs was conducted by a differential DNA denaturation PCR assay. A3G encapsidation into HBV nucleocapsids was examined by Western blot analysis after ultracentrifugation and a co-immunoprecipitation (IP) assay between HBV core and A3G proteins. RESULTS In the present study, we found that IMB-Z could considerably inhibit HBV replication in HepAD38 cells. Interestingly, IMB-Z did not alter the HBV pgRNA production but could reduce the level of core protein, viral nucleocapsids, and core-associated DNA, as well as cccDNA intracellular amplification. Similar to the action of IMB-Z's inhibition of Enterovirus 71 replication, we found that IMB-Z's inhibition of HBV replication was associated with increased level of A3G. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of IMB-Z is independent of the cytidine deaminase activity of A3G and is exerted by increasing its incorporation into viral nucleocapsids. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that IMB-Z inhibits HBV through pharmacological induction A3G expression and incorporation into HBV nucleocapsids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Hu
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Huiqiang Wang
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Yang
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Wu
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Yanping Li
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Yuhuan Li
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Zhuorong Li
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Geerling E, Murphy V, Mai MC, Stone ET, Casals AG, Hassert M, O’Dea AT, Cao F, Donlin MJ, Elagawany M, Elgendy B, Pardali V, Giannakopoulou E, Zoidis G, Schiavone DV, Berkowitz AJ, Agyemang NB, Murelli RP, Tavis JE, Pinto AK, Brien JD. Metal coordinating inhibitors of Rift Valley fever virus replication. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274266. [PMID: 36112605 PMCID: PMC9481026 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a veterinary and human pathogen and is an agent of bioterrorism concern. Currently, RVFV treatment is limited to supportive care, so new drugs to control RVFV infection are urgently needed. RVFV is a member of the order Bunyavirales, whose replication depends on the enzymatic activity of the viral L protein. Screening for RVFV inhibitors among compounds with divalent cation-coordinating motifs similar to known viral nuclease inhibitors identified 47 novel RVFV inhibitors with selective indexes from 1.1–103 and 50% effective concentrations of 1.2–56 μM in Vero cells, primarily α-Hydroxytropolones and N-Hydroxypyridinediones. Inhibitor activity and selective index was validated in the human cell line A549. To evaluate specificity, select compounds were tested against a second Bunyavirus, La Crosse Virus (LACV), and the flavivirus Zika (ZIKV). These data indicate that the α-Hydroxytropolone and N-Hydroxypyridinedione chemotypes should be investigated in the future to determine their mechanism(s) of action allowing further development as therapeutics for RVFV and LACV, and these chemotypes should be evaluated for activity against related pathogens, including Hantaan virus, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Geerling
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Valerie Murphy
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Maria C. Mai
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - E. Taylor Stone
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Andreu Gazquez Casals
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Mariah Hassert
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Austin T. O’Dea
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Feng Cao
- John Cochran Division, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Maureen J. Donlin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Mohamed Elagawany
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine and University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Bahaa Elgendy
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine and University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Vasiliki Pardali
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Erofili Giannakopoulou
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Grigoris Zoidis
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Daniel V. Schiavone
- Department of Chemistry and The Graduate Center of The City University of New York, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Alex J. Berkowitz
- Department of Chemistry and The Graduate Center of The City University of New York, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Nana B. Agyemang
- Department of Chemistry and The Graduate Center of The City University of New York, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Ryan P. Murelli
- Department of Chemistry and The Graduate Center of The City University of New York, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - John E. Tavis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Amelia K. Pinto
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - James D. Brien
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Chen D, Tan X, Chen W, Liu Y, Li C, Wu J, Zheng J, Shen HC, Zhang M, Wu W, Wang L, Xiong J, Dai J, Sun K, Zhang JD, Xiang K, Li B, Ni X, Zhu Q, Gao L, Wang L, Feng S. Discovery of Novel cccDNA Reducers toward the Cure of Hepatitis B Virus Infection. J Med Chem 2022; 65:10938-10955. [PMID: 35973101 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c02215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a worldwide disease that causes thousands of deaths per year. Currently, there is no therapeutic that can completely cure already infected HBV patients due to the inability of humans to eliminate covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which serves as the template to (re)initiate an infection even after prolonged viral suppression. Through phenotypic screening, we discovered xanthone series hits as novel HBV cccDNA reducers, and subsequent structure optimization led to the identification of a lead compound with improved antiviral activity and pharmacokinetic profiles. A representative compound 59 demonstrated good potency and oral bioavailability with no cellular toxicity. In an HBVcircle mouse model, compound 59 showed excellent efficacy in significantly reducing HBV antigens, DNA, and intrahepatic cccDNA levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xuefei Tan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Wenming Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yongfu Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chao Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jun Wu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jiamin Zheng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hong C Shen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Meifang Zhang
- Lead Discovery, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Waikwong Wu
- Lead Discovery, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lin Wang
- pCMC, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jing Xiong
- pCMC, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jieyu Dai
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Kai Sun
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jitao David Zhang
- Pharmaceutical Science, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Grenzacherstrasse 124, Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Kunlun Xiang
- Discovery Virology, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Baocun Li
- Discovery Virology, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - XiaoJu Ni
- Discovery Virology, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qihui Zhu
- Discovery Virology, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lu Gao
- Discovery Virology, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Li Wang
- Discovery Virology, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Song Feng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Building 5, No. 371, Lishizhen Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Wang X, Xiao Y, Cui Z, Li Z, Li L, Wu L, Yin F, Cui X. Cyclocytidine hydrochloride inhibits the synthesis of relaxed circular DNA of hepatitis B virus. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13719. [PMID: 35846878 PMCID: PMC9285472 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cyclocytidine hydrochloride (HCl) has been reported to inhibit DNA synthesis by affecting DNA polymerase. Here, we tested the antiviral effect of cyclocytidine on hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA synthesis, which is reliant on DNA polymerase activity. Materials and Methods Cyclocytidine HCl was treated to HBV-producing HepAD38 cells or added to an endogenous polymerase reaction, and HBV DNA was detected by Southern blot. Results Treatment of 20 µM cyclocytidine HCl significantly decreased the production of relaxed circular (rc) DNA in HepAD38 cells and block rcDNA synthesis in endogenous polymerase reaction (EPR), a cell free assay, possibly by inhibiting the HBV DNA polymerase activity. Conclusion Cyclocytidine HCl could inhibit the synthesis of HBV rcDNA, the precursor of covalently closed circular DNA, and this result provides a case for the usage of "old" drugs for "new" applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue Wang
- School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Yihan Xiao
- School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Zhigang Cui
- School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Zongxin Li
- School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Lihua Li
- School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Lixian Wu
- School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Feifei Yin
- School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China,Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Control of Tropical Diseases, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China,Hainan Medical University—The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Xiuji Cui
- School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China,Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Control of Tropical Diseases, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China,Hainan Medical University—The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
DNA Repair Factor Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase 1 Is a Proviral Factor in Hepatitis B Virus Covalently Closed Circular DNA Formation. J Virol 2022; 96:e0058522. [DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00585-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The biogenesis and eradication of HBV cccDNA have been a research priority in recent years. In this study, we identified the DNA repair factor PARP1 as a host factor required for the HBV
de novo
cccDNA formation.
Collapse
|
41
|
Hong X, Kawasawa YI, Menne S, Hu J. Host cell-dependent late entry step as determinant of hepatitis B virus infection. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010633. [PMID: 35714170 PMCID: PMC9246237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has a highly restricted host range and cell tropism. Other than the human sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (huNTCP), the HBV entry receptor, host determinants of HBV susceptibility are poorly understood. Woodchucks are naturally infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV), closely related to HBV, but not with HBV. Here, we investigated the capabilities of woodchuck hepatic and human non-hepatic cell lines to support HBV infection. DNA transfection assays indicated that all cells tested supported both HBV and WHV replication steps post entry, including the viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) formation, which is essential for establishing and sustaining infection. Ectopic expression of huNTCP rendered one, but not the other, woodchuck hepatic cell line and the non-hepatic human cell line competent to support productive HBV entry, defined here by cccDNA formation during de novo infection. All huNTCP-expressing cell lines tested became susceptible to infection with hepatitis D virus (HDV) that shares the same entry receptor and initial steps of entry with HBV, suggesting that a late entry/trafficking step(s) of HBV infection was defective in one of the two woodchuck cell lines. In addition, the non-susceptible woodchuck hepatic cell line became susceptible to HBV after fusion with human hepatic cells, suggesting the lack of a host cell-dependent factor(s) in these cells. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the two woodchuck cell lines revealed widespread differences in gene expression in multiple biological processes that may contribute to HBV infection. In conclusion, other than huNTCP, neither human- nor hepatocyte-specific factors are essential for productive HBV entry. Furthermore, a late trafficking step(s) during HBV infection, following the shared entry steps with HDV and before cccDNA formation, is subject to host cell regulation and thus, a host determinant of HBV infection. Fundamental studies on, and development of therapies against, chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which inflicts hundreds of millions worldwide, are impeded by deficiencies in HBV-susceptible animal models. HBV displays a strict species and cell tropism that are not clearly understood. Here, by studying replication of HBV, and the related woodchuck hepatitis virus, in human and woodchuck hepatic or non-hepatic cells, we found that non-hepatic human cells and some woodchuck hepatic cells could support productive HBV entry after expression of the human cell receptor for HBV. Moreover, by studying the infection of hepatitis D virus, which shares the same entry receptor and initial steps of entry with HBV, we could narrow down a host determinant of HBV infection operating at a late entry/trafficking step(s). Our study thus provides new insights into determinants of HBV host tropism and facilitates the development of HBV-susceptible animal models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xupeng Hong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yuka Imamura Kawasawa
- Department of Pharmacology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Personalized Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Stephan Menne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Jianming Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Hepatitis B virus X protein counteracts high mobility group box 1 protein-mediated epigenetic silencing of covalently closed circular DNA. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010576. [PMID: 35679251 PMCID: PMC9182688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), serving as the viral persistence form and transcription template of HBV infection, hijacks host histone and non-histone proteins to form a minichromosome and utilizes posttranslational modifications (PTMs) "histone code" for its transcriptional regulation. HBV X protein (HBx) is known as a cccDNA transcription activator. In this study we established a dual system of the inducible reporter cell lines modelling infection with wildtype (wt) and HBx-null HBV, both secreting HA-tagged HBeAg as a semi-quantitative marker for cccDNA transcription. The cccDNA-bound histone PTM profiling of wt and HBx-null systems, using chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR), confirmed that HBx is essential for maintenance of cccDNA at transcriptionally active state, characterized by active histone PTM markers. Differential proteomics analysis of cccDNA minichromosome established in wt and HBx-null HBV cell lines revealed group-specific hits. One of the hits in HBx-deficient condition was a non-histone host DNA-binding protein high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Its elevated association to HBx-null cccDNA was validated by ChIP-qPCR assay in both the HBV stable cell lines and infection systems in vitro. Furthermore, experimental downregulation of HMGB1 in HBx-null HBV inducible and infection models resulted in transcriptional re-activation of the cccDNA minichromosome, accompanied by a switch of the cccDNA-associated histones to euchromatic state with activating histone PTMs landscape and subsequent upregulation of cccDNA transcription. Mechanistically, HBx interacts with HMGB1 and prevents its binding to cccDNA without affecting the steady state level of HMGB1. Taken together, our results suggest that HMGB1 is a novel host restriction factor of HBV cccDNA with epigenetic silencing mechanism, which can be counteracted by viral transcription activator HBx.
Collapse
|
43
|
(-)-Lariciresinol Isolated from the Roots of Isatis indigotica Fortune ex Lindl. Inhibits Hepatitis B Virus by Regulating Viral Transcription. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27103223. [PMID: 35630700 PMCID: PMC9143483 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis induced by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious public health problem, leading to hepatic cirrhosis and liver cancer. Although the currently approved medications can reliably decrease the virus load and prevent the development of hepatic diseases, they fail to induce durable off-drug control of HBV replication in the majority of patients. The roots of Isatis indigotica Fortune ex Lindl., a traditional Chinese medicine, were frequently used for the prevention of viral disease in China. In the present study, (-)-lariciresinol ((-)-LRSL), isolated from the roots of Isatis indigotica Fortune ex Lindl., was found to inhibit HBV DNA replication of both wild-type and nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs)-resistant strains in vitro. Mechanism studies revealed that (-)-LRSL could block RNA production after treatment, followed by viral proteins, and then viral particles and DNA. Promoter reporter assays and RNA decaying dynamic experiments indicated that (-)-LRSL mediated HBV RNA reduction was mainly due to transcriptional inhibition rather than degradation. Moreover, (-)-LRSL in a dose-dependent manner also inhibited other animal hepadnaviruses, including woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) and duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV). Combining the analysis of RNA-seq, we further found that the decrease in HBV transcriptional activity by (-)-LRSL may be related to hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α (HNF1α). Taken together, (-)-LRSL represents a novel chemical entity that inhibits HBV replication by regulating HNF1α mediated HBV transcription, which may provide a new perspective for HBV therapeutics.
Collapse
|
44
|
Song Y, Shou S, Guo H, Gao Z, Liu N, Yang Y, Wang F, Deng Q, Liu J, Xie Y. Establishment and Characterization of a New Cell Culture System for Hepatitis B Virus Replication and Infection. Virol Sin 2022; 37:558-568. [PMID: 35568375 PMCID: PMC9437612 DOI: 10.1016/j.virs.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a primary cause of chronic liver diseases in humans. HBV infection exhibits strict host and tissue tropism. HBV core promoter (Cp) drives transcription of pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) and plays a key role in the viral life cycle. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) acts as a major transcriptional factor that stimulates Cp. In this work, we reported that BEL7404 cell line displayed a high efficiency of DNA transfection and high levels of HBV antigen expression after transfection of HBV replicons without prominent viral replication. The introduction of exogenous HNF4α and human sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (hNTCP) expression into BEL7404 made it permissive for HBV replication and susceptible to HBV infection. BEL7404-derived cell lines with induced HBV permissiveness and susceptibility were constructed by stable co-transfection of hNTCP and Tet-inducible HNF4α followed by limiting dilution cloning. HBV replication in such cells was sensitive to inhibition by nucleotide analog tenofovir, while the infection was inhibited by HBV entry inhibitors. This cell culture system provides a new and additional tool for the study of HBV replication and infection as well as the characterization of antiviral agents. BEL7404 cells are characterized by a high transfection efficiency, but do not support canonical HBV replication. BEL7404 cells lack endogenous HNF4α expression, and exogenous HNF4α rescues canonical HBV replication. BEL7404 cells with stable hNTCP and inducible HNF4α expression support HBV infection and inducible replication. BEL7404-derived cell lines supporting HBV infection retain high transfection efficiencies and allow testing of antivirals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Song
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS) and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shuyu Shou
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS) and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huimin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS) and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518112, China; The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, China
| | - Zixiang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS) and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Nannan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS) and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS) and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Feifei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS) and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qiang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS) and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS) and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Youhua Xie
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS) and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Phosphoproteomics Unravel HBV Triggered Rewiring of Host Phosphosignaling Events. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095127. [PMID: 35563518 PMCID: PMC9104152 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection persists as a major global health problem despite the availability of HBV vaccines for disease prevention. However, vaccination rates remains low in some regions of the world, driving the need for novel strategies to minimise infections and prevent disease progression. Thus, understanding of perturbed molecular signaling events during early phases of HBV infection is required. Phosphosignaling is known to be involved in the HBV infection processes, yet systems-level changes in phosphosignaling pathways in the host during infection remain unclear. To this end, we performed phosphoproteome profiling on HBV-infected HepG2-NTCP cells. Our results showed that HBV infection drastically altered the host phosphoproteome and its associated proteins, including kinases. Computational analysis of this phosphoproteome revealed dysregulation of the pathways involved in immune responses, cell cycle processes, and RNA processing during HBV infection. Kinase Substrate Enrichment Analysis (KSEA) identified the dysregulated activities of important kinases, including those from CMGC (CDK, MAPK, GSK, and CLK), AGC (protein kinase A, G, and C), and TK (Tyrosine Kinase) families. Of note, the inhibition of CLKs significantly reduced HBV infection in HepG2-NTCP cells. In all, our study unravelled the aberrated phosphosignaling pathways and the associated kinases, presenting potential entry points for developing novel therapeutic strategies for HBV treatment.
Collapse
|
46
|
Wang Y, Li Y, Zai W, Hu K, Zhu Y, Deng Q, Wu M, Li Y, Chen J, Yuan Z. HBV covalently closed circular DNA minichromosomes in distinct epigenetic transcriptional states differ in their vulnerability to damage. Hepatology 2022; 75:1275-1288. [PMID: 34779008 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is a major obstacle for a cure of chronic hepatitis B. Accumulating evidence suggests that epigenetic modifications regulate the transcriptional activity of cccDNA minichromosomes. However, it remains unclear how the epigenetic state of cccDNA affects its stability. APPROACHES AND RESULTS By using HBV infection cell models and in vitro and in vivo recombinant cccDNA (rcccDNA) and HBVcircle models, the reduction rate of HBV cccDNA and the efficacy of apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic subunit 3A (APOBEC3A)-mediated and CRISPR/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9)-mediated cccDNA targeting were compared between cccDNAs with distinct transcriptional activities. Interferon-α treatment and hepatitis B x protein (HBx) deletion were applied as two strategies for cccDNA repression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and micrococcal nuclease assays were performed to determine the epigenetic pattern of cccDNA. HBV cccDNA levels remained stable in nondividing hepatocytes; however, they were significantly reduced during cell division, and the reduction rate was similar between cccDNAs in transcriptionally active and transcriptionally repressed states. Strikingly, HBV rcccDNA without HBx expression exhibited a significantly longer persistence in mice. The cccDNA with low transcriptional activity exhibited an epigenetically inactive pattern and was more difficult to access by APOBEC3A and engineered CRISPR-Cas9. The epigenetic regulator activating cccDNA increased its vulnerability to APOBEC3A. CONCLUSIONS HBV cccDNA minichromosomes in distinct epigenetic transcriptional states showed a similar reduction rate during cell division but significantly differed in their accessibility and vulnerability to targeted nucleases and antiviral agents. Epigenetic sensitization of cccDNA makes it more susceptible to damage and may potentially contribute to an HBV cure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS)School of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yumeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS)School of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Wenjing Zai
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS)School of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Kongying Hu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS)School of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yuanfei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS)School of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Qiang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS)School of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina.,Research Unit of Cure of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus InfectionChinese Academy of Medical SciencesShanghaiChina.,Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and InfectionShanghaiChina
| | - Min Wu
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical CenterFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yaming Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS)School of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jieliang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS)School of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina.,Research Unit of Cure of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus InfectionChinese Academy of Medical SciencesShanghaiChina.,Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and InfectionShanghaiChina
| | - Zhenghong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS)School of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina.,Research Unit of Cure of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus InfectionChinese Academy of Medical SciencesShanghaiChina.,Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and InfectionShanghaiChina
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Xi J, Cui X, Liu K, Liu H, Wang J, Hu J. Region-Specific Hepatitis B Virus Genome Exposure from Nucleocapsid Modulated by Capsid Linker Sequence and Inhibitor: Implications for Uncoating. J Virol 2022; 96:e0039922. [PMID: 35389266 PMCID: PMC9044944 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00399-22] [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: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) contains a partially double-stranded, relaxed circular (RC) DNA genome synthesized within a nucleocapsid (NC) in the host cell cytoplasm. The release of RC DNA from the NC, in an ill-defined process called uncoating, to the nucleus is required for its conversion to the covalently closed circular (CCC) DNA, the viral episome serving as the transcriptional template for all viral RNAs necessary for replication and, thus, essential for establishing and sustaining viral infection. In efforts to better understand uncoating, we analyzed HBV core (HBc) mutants that show various levels of nuclear CCC DNA but little to no cytoplasmic RC DNA. We found that RC DNA could be synthesized by these mutants outside the cell, but in contrast to the wild type (wt), the mutant NCs were unable to protect RC DNA from digestion by the endogenous nuclease(s) in cellular lysates or exogenous DNase. Subcellular fractionation suggested that the major RC DNA-degrading activity was membrane associated. Digestion with sequence-specific and nonspecific DNases revealed the exposure of specific regions of RC DNA from the mutant NC. Similarly, treatment of wt NCs with a core inhibitor known to increase CCC DNA by affecting uncoating also led to region-specific exposure of RC DNA. Furthermore, a subpopulation of untreated wild type (wt) mature NCs showed site-specific exposure of RC DNA as well. Competition between RC DNA degradation and its conversion to CCC DNA during NC uncoating thus likely plays an important role in the establishment and persistence of HBV infection and has implications for the development of capsid-targeted antivirals. IMPORTANCE Disassembly of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) nucleocapsid (NC) to release its genomic DNA, in an ill-understood process called uncoating, is required to form the viral nuclear episome in the host cell nucleus, a viral DNA essential for establishing and sustaining HBV infection. The elimination of the HBV nuclear episome remains the holy grail for the development of an HBV cure. We report here that the HBV genomic DNA is exposed in a region-specific manner during uncoating, which is enhanced by mutations of the capsid protein and a capsid-targeted antiviral compound. The exposure of the viral genome can result in its rapid degradation or, alternatively, can enhance the formation of the nuclear episome, thus having a major impact on HBV infection and persistence. These results are thus important for understanding fundamental mechanisms of HBV replication and persistence and for the ongoing pursuit of an HBV cure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ji Xi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Xiuji Cui
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kuancheng Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Haitao Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joseph Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jianming Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Cole AG, Kultgen SG, Mani N, Ardzinski A, Fan KY, Thi EP, Dorsey BD, Stever K, Chiu T, Tang S, Daly O, Phelps JR, Harasym T, Olland A, Suto RK, Sofia MJ. The identification of highly efficacious functionalised tetrahydrocyclopenta[ c]pyrroles as inhibitors of HBV viral replication through modulation of HBV capsid assembly. RSC Med Chem 2022; 13:343-349. [PMID: 35434625 PMCID: PMC8942244 DOI: 10.1039/d1md00318f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Disruption of the HBV viral life cycle with small molecules that prevent the encapsidation of pregenomic RNA and viral polymerase through binding to HBV core protein is a clinically validated approach to inhibiting HBV viral replication. Herein we report the further optimisation of clinical candidate AB-506 through core modification with a focus on increasing oral exposure and oral half-life. Maintenance of high levels of anti-HBV cellular potency in conjunction with improvements in pharmacokinetic properties led to multi-log10 reductions in serum HBV DNA following low, once-daily oral dosing for key analogues in a preclinical animal model of HBV replication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G. Cole
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | | | - Nagraj Mani
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | | | - Kristi Yi Fan
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | - Emily P. Thi
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | - Bruce D. Dorsey
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | - Kim Stever
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | - Tim Chiu
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | - Sunny Tang
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | - Owen Daly
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | - Janet R. Phelps
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | - Troy Harasym
- Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.701 Veterans CircleWarminsterPA 18974USA
| | - Andrea Olland
- Xtal BioStructures Inc.12 Michigan DriveNatickMA 01760USA
| | - Robert K. Suto
- Xtal BioStructures Inc.12 Michigan DriveNatickMA 01760USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Kamiya N, Sugimoto T, Abe-Chayama H, Akiyama R, Tsuboi Y, Mogami A, Imamura M, Hayes CN, Chayama K. Untying relaxed circular DNA of hepatitis B virus by polymerase reaction provides a new option for accurate quantification and visualization of covalently closed circular DNA. J Gen Virol 2022; 103. [PMID: 35130138 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a small hepatotropic DNA virus that replicates via an RNA intermediate. After entry, the virus capsid carries relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) into the nucleus where the viral genome is converted into covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which serves as the template for all viral transcripts. To monitor cccDNA levels, preprocessing methods to eliminate rcDNA have emerged for quantitative PCR, although Southern blotting is still the only method to discriminate cccDNA from other DNA intermediates. In this study, we have established a robust method for untying mature rcDNA into double stranded linear DNA using specific polymerases. Untying rcDNA provides not only an alternative method for cccDNA quantification but also a sensitive method for visualizing cccDNA. We combined this method with plasmid-safe DNase and T5 exonuclease preprocessing and revealed that accurate quantification requires cccDNA digestion by a restriction enzyme because heat stability of cccDNA increases after T5 exonuclease treatment. In digital PCR using duplex TaqMan probes, fewer than 1000 copies of cccDNA were successfully visualized as double positive spots that were distinct from single positives derived from untied rcDNA. This method was further applied to the infection model of primary hepatocytes treated with nucleoside analogues and a core protein allosteric modulator to monitor cccDNA levels. Relative quantification of cccDNA by human genome copy demonstrated the possibility of precise evaluation of cccDNA level per nucleus. These results clearly indicate that the sequential reaction from untying rcDNA is useful to investigate cccDNA fates in a small fraction of nuclei.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naohiro Kamiya
- Research Unit/Immunology & Inflammation, Sohyaku, Innovative Research Division, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.,Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takahiko Sugimoto
- Research Unit/Immunology & Inflammation, Sohyaku, Innovative Research Division, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hiromi Abe-Chayama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Rie Akiyama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yasunori Tsuboi
- Research Unit/Immunology & Inflammation, Sohyaku, Innovative Research Division, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Akira Mogami
- Research Unit/Immunology & Inflammation, Sohyaku, Innovative Research Division, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Michio Imamura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - C Nelson Hayes
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Chayama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Yang Y, Yan Y, Yin J, Hu J, Cai X, Hu J, Xia J, Wang K, Tang N, Huang L. Structure-Based Discovery of N-Sulfonylpiperidine-3-carboxamides as Novel Capsid Assembly Modulators for Potent Inhibition of HBV Replication. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020348. [PMID: 35215939 PMCID: PMC8876525 DOI: 10.3390/v14020348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
As a key element during HBV replication, a nucleocapsid is considered a promising target for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. The present study aimed to identify small molecules as novel capsid assembly modulators with antiviral activity. Structure-based virtual screening of an integrated compound library led to the identification of several types of HBV inhibitors. Among these inhibitors, N-sulfonylpiperidine-3-carboxamides (SPCs) potently reduced the amount of secreted HBV DNA. Through structure–activity relationship studies, we identified an SPC derivative, namely, C-39, which exhibited the highest antiviral activity without causing cytotoxicity. Mechanism studies showed that C-39 dose-dependently inhibited the formation of HBV capsid, synthesis of cccDNA, e antigen (HBeAg), viral pregenomic RNA (pgRNA), and HBV DNA levels, thereby restraining HBV replication. In summary, SPCs represent a new class of capsid assembly modulators. Further optimization of SPCs is expected to obtain new antiviral drugs against HBV infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ni Tang
- Correspondence: (N.T.); (L.H.)
| | | |
Collapse
|