Susumu Hamada-Tsutsumi1, Yutaka Naito2, Seiichi Sato3, Akinori Takaoka3, Keigo Kawashima1,4, Masanori Isogawa1, Takahiro Ochiya2, Yasuhito Tanaka1. 1. Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan. 2. Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan. 3. Division of Signaling in Cancer and Immunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. 4. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Conventional treatments of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection rarely achieve a decline of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels and eradication of the virus. AIM: To elucidate the antiviral mechanisms of a human microRNA, miR-302c-3p, against HBV replication. METHODS: The antiviral effect of miR-302c-3p was evaluated in vitro and in vivo by transfecting the miR-302c-3p mimic into HBV-infected HepG2-hNTCP-C4 cells and HBV transgenic mice respectively. RESULTS: miR-302c-3p decreased not only HBV replication but also production of HBsAg. Pregenomic RNA and HBsAg mRNA concentrations decreased in the cells treated with miR-302c-3p. Interestingly, the amount of cccDNA was significantly reduced in the miR-302c-3p-treated cells, in association with disappearance of the HBV core protein. An RNA immunoprecipitation assay showed that miR-302c-3p decreased the binding of the HBV polymerase to the pregenomic RNA by hybridising with the ε-loop region. A number of host genes were downregulated in miR-302c-3p-treated cells, including BMPR2 and HNF4A. Knockdown of these two genes by corresponding siRNAs also suppressed HBV replication and HBsAg secretion. The antiviral effect of miR-302c-3p was also observed in HBV transgenic mice. CONCLUSION: miR-302c-3p had anti-HBV activity, in vitro and in vivo, via several mechanisms.
BACKGROUND: Conventional treatments of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection rarely achieve a decline of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels and eradication of the virus. AIM: To elucidate the antiviral mechanisms of a human microRNA, miR-302c-3p, against HBV replication. METHODS: The antiviral effect of miR-302c-3p was evaluated in vitro and in vivo by transfecting the miR-302c-3p mimic into HBV-infected HepG2-hNTCP-C4 cells and HBVtransgenic mice respectively. RESULTS: miR-302c-3p decreased not only HBV replication but also production of HBsAg. Pregenomic RNA and HBsAg mRNA concentrations decreased in the cells treated with miR-302c-3p. Interestingly, the amount of cccDNA was significantly reduced in the miR-302c-3p-treated cells, in association with disappearance of the HBV core protein. An RNA immunoprecipitation assay showed that miR-302c-3p decreased the binding of the HBV polymerase to the pregenomic RNA by hybridising with the ε-loop region. A number of host genes were downregulated in miR-302c-3p-treated cells, including BMPR2 and HNF4A. Knockdown of these two genes by corresponding siRNAs also suppressed HBV replication and HBsAg secretion. The antiviral effect of miR-302c-3p was also observed in HBVtransgenic mice. CONCLUSION: miR-302c-3p had anti-HBV activity, in vitro and in vivo, via several mechanisms.
Authors: Ganesh Selvaraj Duraisamy; Dattatry Bhosale; Ivana Lipenská; Ivana Huvarova; Daniel Růžek; Marc P Windisch; Andrew D Miller Journal: Viruses Date: 2020-09-07 Impact factor: 5.048