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Cis-preferential recruitment of duck hepatitis B virus core protein to the RNA/polymerase preassembly complex

Academic Article
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Overview

authors

  • von Weizsacker, F.
  • Kock, J.
  • Wieland, Stefan
  • Beck, J.
  • Nassal, M.
  • Blum, H. E.

publication date

  • 2002

journal

  • Hepatology  Journal

abstract

  • Hepadnaviral replication requires the concerted action of the polymerase and core proteins to ensure selective packaging of the RNA pregenome into nucleocapsids. Virus assembly is initiated by cis-preferential binding of polymerase to the encapsidation signal straightepsilon, present on pregenomic RNA. Using the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) model, we analyzed how core protein is recruited to the RNA/polymerase preassembly complex. Two sets of trans-complementation assays were performed in cotransfected hepatoma cells. First, a replication-competent DHBV construct was tested for its ability to rescue replication of genomes bearing mutations within the core region. Self-packaging of wild-type pregenomes was more efficient than cross-packaging of core-deficient pregenomes, and this bias was strongly enhanced if mutant pregenomes coded for self-assembly-competent, but packaging-deficient, core proteins. Second, the site of wild-type core protein translation, i.e., pregenomic RNA (cis) or separate messenger RNA (trans), was analyzed for its effect on the phenotype of a previously described dominant-negative (DN) DHBV core protein mutant. This mutant forms chimeric nucleocapsids with wild-type core proteins and blocks reverse transcription within most, but not all, mixed particles. Strikingly, suppression of viral DNA synthesis by the mutant increased 100-fold when wild-type core protein was provided in trans. Our results suggest that recruitment of core protein to the DHBV preassembly complex occurs in a cis-preferential manner. This mechanism may account for the leakiness of DN DHBV core protein mutants targeting reverse transcription.

subject areas

  • Binding Sites
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Blotting, Western
  • DNA, Viral
  • DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases
  • Dimerization
  • Hepatitis B Virus, Duck
  • Mutation
  • Nucleocapsid
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Viral
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Viral Core Proteins
  • Virus Replication
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Identity

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0270-9139

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1053/jhep.2002.30086

PubMed ID

  • 11786978
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Additional Document Info

start page

  • 209

end page

  • 216

volume

  • 35

issue

  • 1

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