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Identification and characterization of retinol dehydrogenase 11 as a hepatitis C virus core protein-binding protein by yeast-two hybrid technique

AIM: To screen the hepatocyte protein interacting with HCV core protein.

METHODS: By using HCV core protein as a bait, yeast-two hybrid system 3 was employed for screening and identification of HCV core protein-binding proteins from a hepatocyte cDNA library expressed in yeast cells. The protein-protein interaction was confirmed by back-cross experiment, and the inserts of the expressive vectors were sequenced and analyzed by bioinformatics methods.

RESULTS: Among them we identified retinol dehydrogenase 11(RDH11/androgen- regulated short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase 1 (ARSDR1) as a HCV core protein-interacting protein. This is the first time, to the best of our knowledge, to know the fact that there are interactions of HCV core protein-retinol dehydrogenase 11.

CONCLUSION: The identification of retinol dehydrogenase 11 as the HCV core protein binding partner paves a new way for further understanding of the pathogenesis of HCV infection.

Cloning of the gene of preS1 promoter of hepatitis B virus specific DNA-binding protein 1

AIM: To identify the protein which has unknown function binding with the preS1 promoter of hepatitis B virus, and to clone its coding sequence.

METHODS: Yeast one-hybrid system was employed to screen a human liver cDNA library using 3 copies of SP I core sequence as a bait, and one unknown gene was obtained. The coding sequence of the preS1 promoter of hepatitis B virus specific DNA-binding protein 1 (SBP I) was cloned by bioinformatics methods.

RESULTS: The coding sequence of SBP1 was cloned successfully.

CONCLUSION: SBP1 has a complete open reading frame, and biological functions by binding with SP I. The sequence similarity results indicate that the human SBP1 is a new member of transcription factor C/EBP.