1
|
Yao X, Xu K, Tao N, Cheng S, Chen H, Zhang D, Yang M, Tan M, Yu H, Chen P, Zhan Z, He S, Li R, Wang C, Wu D, Ren J. ZNF148 inhibits HBV replication by downregulating RXRα transcription. Virol J 2024; 21:35. [PMID: 38297280 PMCID: PMC10832224 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02291-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Progressive hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can result in cirrhosis, hepatocellular cancer, and chronic hepatitis. While antiviral drugs that are now on the market are efficient in controlling HBV infection, finding a functional cure is still quite difficult. Identifying host factors involved in regulating the HBV life cycle will contribute to the development of new antiviral strategies. Zinc finger proteins have a significant function in HBV replication, according to earlier studies. Zinc finger protein 148 (ZNF148), a zinc finger transcription factor, regulates the expression of various genes by specifically binding to GC-rich sequences within promoter regions. The function of ZNF148 in HBV replication was investigated in this study. METHODS HepG2-Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (HepG2-NTCP) cells and Huh7 cells were used to evaluate the function of ZNF148 in vitro. Northern blotting and real-time PCR were used to quantify the amount of viral RNA. Southern blotting and real-time PCR were used to quantify the amount of viral DNA. Viral protein levels were elevated, according to the Western blot results. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to examine the transcriptional activity of viral promoters. ZNF148's impact on HBV in vivo was investigated using an established rcccDNA mouse model. RESULTS ZNF148 overexpression significantly decreased the levels of HBV RNAs and HBV core DNA in HBV-infected HepG2-NTCP cells and Huh7 cells expressing prcccDNA. Silencing ZNF148 exhibited the opposite effects in both cell lines. Furthermore, ZNF148 inhibited the activity of HBV ENII/Cp and the transcriptional activity of cccDNA. Mechanistic studies revealed that ZNF148 attenuated retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα) expression by binding to the RXRα promoter sequence. RXRα binding site mutation or RXRα overexpression abolished the suppressive effect of ZNF148 on HBV replication. The inhibitory effect of ZNF148 was also observed in the rcccDNA mouse model. CONCLUSIONS ZNF148 inhibited HBV replication by downregulating RXRα transcription. Our findings reveal that ZNF148 may be a new target for anti-HBV strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyan Yao
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Kexin Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Nana Tao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sichuan-Chongqing Co-construction for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China
| | - Shengtao Cheng
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Huajian Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chongqing Emergency Medical Center, Chongqing University Central Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Dapeng Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Minli Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Ming Tan
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Haibo Yu
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Peng Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Zongzhu Zhan
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Siyi He
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Ranran Li
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Chunduo Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Daiqing Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Jihua Ren
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chong Yi Building, 1 YiXueYuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| |
Collapse
|