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Journal of Virology, June 2001, p. 5108-5118, Vol. 75, No. 11
Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie
Heidelberg (ZMBH), University of Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg,
Federal Republic of Germany
Received 10 November 2000/Accepted 1 March 2001
For the study of hepatitis B virus infection, no permissive cell
line or small animal is available. Stably transfected cell lines and
transgenic mice which contain hepadnavirus genomes produce virus,
but
0022-538X/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.11.5108-5118.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Transfer of Hepatitis B Virus Genome by Adenovirus
Vectors into Cultured Cells and Mice: Crossing the Species
Barrier

unlike in natural infection
from an integrated viral transcription template. To transfer hepadnavirus genomes across the
species barrier, we developed adenovirus vectors in which 1.3-fold-overlength human and duck hepatitis B virus genomes were inserted. The adenovirus-mediated genome transfer efficiently initiated
hepadnavirus replication from an extrachromosomal template in
established cell lines, in primary hepatocytes from various species,
and in the livers of mice. Following the transfer, hepatitis B virus
proteins, genomic RNA, and all replicative DNA intermediates were
detected. Detection of covalently closed circular DNA in hepatoma cell
lines and in primary hepatocytes indicated that an intracellular
replication cycle independent from the transferred linear viral genome
was established. High-titer hepatitis B virions were released into the
culture medium of hepatoma cells and the various primary hepatocytes.
In addition, infectious virions were secreted into the sera of mice. In
conclusion, adenovirus-mediated genome transfer initiated efficient
hepatitis B virus replication in cultured liver cells and in the
experimental animals from an extrachromosomal template. This will allow
development of small-animal systems of hepatitis B virus infection and
will facilitate study of pathogenicity of wild-type and mutant viruses
as well as of virus-host interaction and new therapeutic approaches.
*
Corresponding author. Present address: Hygiene
Institut, Abteilung Virologie, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D-69120
Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany. Phone: 49-69221-565015. Fax:
49-69221-565003. E-mail:
u.protzer{at}zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de.
Present address: Department of Virology, Hygiene Institute,
University of Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
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