Liver-Specific MicroRNA miR-122 Enhances the Replication of Hepatitis C Virus in Nonhepatic Cells▿
- Jinhong Chang1,§,*,
- Ju-Tao Guo1,§,
- Dong Jiang1,
- Haitao Guo1,
- John M. Taylor3, and
- Timothy M. Block1,2
- 1Drexel Institute for Biotechnology and Virology Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine
- 2Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research, Hepatitis B Foundation, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902
- 3Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111
ABSTRACT
The liver-specific microRNA miR-122 has been shown to be required for the replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the hepatoma cell line Huh7. The aim of this study was to test if HCV replication can be modulated by exogenously expressed miR-122 in human embryonic kidney epithelial cells (HEK-293). Our results demonstrate that miR-122 enhances the colony formation efficiency of the HCV replicon and increases the steady-state level of HCV RNA in HEK-293 cells. Therefore, we conclude that although miR-122 is not absolutely required, it greatly enhances HCV replication in nonhepatic cells.
FOOTNOTES
- Received 3 December 2007.
- Accepted 4 June 2008.
- ↵*Corresponding author. Mailing address: Drexel Institute for Biotechnology and Virology Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA 18902. Phone: (215) 589-6325. Fax: (215) 489-4920. E-mail: jinhong.chang{at}drexelmed.edu
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↵§ J. Chang and J.-T. Guo contributed equally to this work.
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↵▿ Published ahead of print on 11 June 2008.
- American Society for Microbiology
