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Journal of Virology, February 2001, p. 1104-1116, Vol. 75, No. 3
Department of Internal Medicine II/Molecular
Biology, University Hospital Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany
Received 18 July 2000/Accepted 30 October 2000
Hepatitis B virus (HBV), the causative agent of B-type hepatitis in
humans, is a hepatotropic DNA-containing virus that replicates via
reverse transcription. Because of its narrow host range, there is as
yet no practical small-animal system for HBV infection. The hosts of
the few related animal viruses, including woodchuck hepatitis B virus
and duck hepatitis B virus, are either difficult to keep or only
distantly related to humans. Some evidence suggests that tree shrews
(tupaias) may be susceptible to infection with human HBV, albeit with
low efficiency. Infection efficiency depends on interactions of the
virus with factors on the surface and inside the host cell. To bypass
restrictions during the initial entry phase, we used recombinant
replication-defective adenovirus vectors, either with or without a
green fluorescent protein marker gene, to deliver complete HBV genomes
into primary tupaia hepatocytes. Here we show that these cells, like
the human hepatoma cell lines HepG2 and Huh7, are efficiently
transduced by the vectors and produce all HBV gene products required to
generate the secretory antigens HBsAg and HBeAg, replication-competent
nucleocapsids, and enveloped virions. We further demonstrate that
covalently closed circular HBV DNA is formed. Therefore, primary tupaia
hepatocytes support all steps of HBV replication following deposition
of the genome in the nucleus, including the intracellular amplification cycle. These data provide a rational basis for in vivo experiments aimed at developing tupaias into a useful experimental animal system
for HBV infection.
0022-538X/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.3.1104-1116.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Virion and Covalently
Closed Circular DNA Formation in Primary Tupaia Hepatocytes and Human
Hepatoma Cell Lines upon HBV Genome Transduction with
Replication-Defective Adenovirus Vectors
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Internal Medicine II/Molecular Biology, University Hospital Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany. Phone and Fax: 49-761-270 3507. E-mail: nassal2{at}ukl.uni-freiburg.de.
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