Yaming Liu1, Jessica L Maiers2, Yajuan Rui3, Xiaoming Jiang3, Bayasi Guleng1, Jianlin Ren4. 1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Xiamen University Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361001, China; Department of Digestive Diseases, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361001, China. 2. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, 55902, USA. 3. First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, 132001, China. 4. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Xiamen University Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361001, China; Department of Digestive Diseases, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361001, China. Electronic address: Ren.Jianlin@outlook.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein H (APOH), also known as beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2-GPI), is an acute phase protein in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and binds to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) with high-affinity. APOH expression is upregulated by HBV and the large surface protein (LHBs), but also elevated in HBV-related hepatoma cells. Previous studies show that intracellular retention of HBsAg induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a key driver of hepatocyte damage during chronic liver injury, but the mechanisms are unclear. We hypothesize that APOH mediates HBV-induced ER stress through increased retention of HBsAg. METHODS: VR-APOH-myc and VR-LHBs-flag plasmids were constructed by PCR using pcDNA3.1(-)-APOH or an HBV expression vector, respectively. APOH and ER stress markers were examined at protein and mRNA levels by Western Blot or RT-qPCR. HBsAg titer was assayed by ELISA. RNA-seq was performed to elucidate the transcriptional impact of APOH manipulation in HBV-producing cells (HepG2.2.15 cells). RESULTS: We found that HBV upregulates APOH expression in 293 T cells, and APOH overexpression subsequently inhibits secretion of HBsAg. Next, we show that LHBs overexpression in conjunction with APOH leads to ER stress in 293 T cells, as evidenced by production of the binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), as well as increased splicing of X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1). We further observed that loss of beta2-GPI reduced CHOP expression in HepG2.2.15 cells, while beta2-GPI overexpression enhanced CHOP production. CONCLUSION: The interaction of beta2-GPI and HBV initiates ER stress through driving intracellular retention of HBsAg and activates the UPR.
BACKGROUND:Apolipoprotein H (APOH), also known as beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2-GPI), is an acute phase protein in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and binds to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) with high-affinity. APOH expression is upregulated by HBV and the large surface protein (LHBs), but also elevated in HBV-related hepatoma cells. Previous studies show that intracellular retention of HBsAg induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a key driver of hepatocyte damage during chronic liver injury, but the mechanisms are unclear. We hypothesize that APOH mediates HBV-induced ER stress through increased retention of HBsAg. METHODS: VR-APOH-myc and VR-LHBs-flag plasmids were constructed by PCR using pcDNA3.1(-)-APOH or an HBV expression vector, respectively. APOH and ER stress markers were examined at protein and mRNA levels by Western Blot or RT-qPCR. HBsAg titer was assayed by ELISA. RNA-seq was performed to elucidate the transcriptional impact of APOH manipulation in HBV-producing cells (HepG2.2.15 cells). RESULTS: We found that HBV upregulates APOH expression in 293 T cells, and APOH overexpression subsequently inhibits secretion of HBsAg. Next, we show that LHBs overexpression in conjunction with APOH leads to ER stress in 293 T cells, as evidenced by production of the binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), as well as increased splicing of X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1). We further observed that loss of beta2-GPI reduced CHOP expression in HepG2.2.15 cells, while beta2-GPI overexpression enhanced CHOP production. CONCLUSION: The interaction of beta2-GPI and HBV initiates ER stress through driving intracellular retention of HBsAg and activates the UPR.
Authors: Seul Kee Byeon; Anil K Madugundu; Kishore Garapati; Madan Gopal Ramarajan; Mayank Saraswat; Praveen Kumar-M; Travis Hughes; Rameen Shah; Mrinal M Patnaik; Nicholas Chia; Susan Ashrafzadeh-Kian; Joseph D Yao; Bobbi S Pritt; Roberto Cattaneo; Mohamed E Salama; Roman M Zenka; Benjamin R Kipp; Stefan K G Grebe; Ravinder J Singh; Amir A Sadighi Akha; Alicia Algeciras-Schimnich; Surendra Dasari; Janet E Olson; Jesse R Walsh; A J Venkatakrishnan; Garrett Jenkinson; John C O'Horo; Andrew D Badley; Akhilesh Pandey Journal: Lancet Digit Health Date: 2022-07-11