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A screen for genetic suppressor elements of hepatitis C virus identifies a supercharged protein inhibitor of viral replication.

ABSTRACT: Genetic suppressor elements (GSEs) are biomolecules derived from a gene or genome of interest that act as transdominant inhibitors of biological functions presumably by disruption of critical biological interfaces. We exploited a cell death reporter cell line for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, n4mBid, to develop an iterative selection/enrichment strategy for the identification of anti-HCV GSEs. Using this approach, a library of fragments of an HCV genome was screened for sequences that suppress HCV infection. A 244 amino acid gene fragment, B1, was strongly enriched after 5 rounds of selection. B1 derives from a single-base frameshift of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) which was used as a filler during fragment cloning. B1 has a very high net positive charge of 43 at neutral pH and a high charge-to-mass (kDa) ratio of 1.5. We show that B1 expression specifically inhibits HCV replication. In addition, five highly positively charged B1 fragments produced from progressive truncation at the C-terminus all retain the ability to inhibit HCV, suggesting that a high positive charge, rather than a particular motif in B1, likely accounts for B1's anti-HCV activity. Another supercharged protein, +36GFP, was also found to strongly inhibit HCV replication when added to cells at the time of infection. This study reports a new methodology for HCV inhibitor screening and points to the anti-HCV potential of positively charged proteins/peptides.

SUBMITTER: Simeon RL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3877138 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A screen for genetic suppressor elements of hepatitis C virus identifies a supercharged protein inhibitor of viral replication.

Simeon Rudo L RL Chen Zhilei Z

PloS one 20131231 12

Genetic suppressor elements (GSEs) are biomolecules derived from a gene or genome of interest that act as transdominant inhibitors of biological functions presumably by disruption of critical biological interfaces. We exploited a cell death reporter cell line for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, n4mBid, to develop an iterative selection/enrichment strategy for the identification of anti-HCV GSEs. Using this approach, a library of fragments of an HCV genome was screened for sequences that suppr ...[more]

PMID: 24391867

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Project description:Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of end-stage liver disease. Interferon-? (IFN?) is an important component of anti-HCV therapy; it up-regulates transcription of IFN-stimulated genes, many of which have been investigated for their antiviral effects. However, all of the genes required for the antiviral function of IFN? (IFN effector genes [IEGs]) are not known. IEGs include not only IFN-stimulated genes, but other nontranscriptionally induced genes that are required for the antiviral effect of IFN?. In contrast to candidate approaches based on analyses of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression, identification of IEGs requires a broad functional approach.We performed an unbiased genome-wide small interfering RNA screen to identify IEGs that inhibit HCV. Huh7.5.1 hepatoma cells were transfected with small interfering RNAs incubated with IFN? and then infected with JFH1 HCV. Cells were stained using HCV core antibody, imaged, and analyzed to determine the percent infection. Candidate IEGs detected in the screen were validated and analyzed further.The screen identified 120 previously unreported IEGs. From these, we more fully evaluated the following: asparagine-linked glycosylation 10 homolog (yeast, ?-1,2-glucosyltransferase); butyrylcholinesterase; dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (CD26, adenosine deaminase complexing protein 2); glucokinase (hexokinase 4) regulator; guanylate cyclase 1, soluble, ? 3; MYST histone acetyltransferase 1; protein phosphatase 3 (formerly 2B), catalytic subunit, ? isoform; peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-?-DBD-interacting protein 1; and solute carrier family 27 (fatty acid transporter), member 2; and demonstrated that they enabled IFN?-mediated suppression of HCV at multiple steps of its life cycle. Expression of these genes had more potent effects against flaviviridae because a subset was required for IFN? to suppress dengue virus but not influenza A virus. In addition, many of the host genes detected in this screen (92%) were not transcriptionally stimulated by IFN?; these genes represent a heretofore unknown class of non-IFN-stimulated gene IEGs.We performed a whole-genome loss-of-function screen to identify genes that mediate the effects of IFN? against human pathogenic viruses. We found that IFN? restricts HCV via actions of general and specific IEGs.

Project description:Defective viral genomes (DVGs) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) exist, but their biological significances have not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we analyzed HCV DVGs circulating in patient sera that possess deletions in the structural protein-encoding region. About 30% of 41 HCV clinical isolates possess DVGs that originated from the full-length genome in the same patients. No correlation between DVGs, viremia, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels was found. Sequencing analysis of DVGs revealed the existence of deletion hot spots, with upstream sites in E1 and downstream sites in E2 and NS2. Interestingly, the coding sequences for the core protein and the C-terminal protease domain of NS2 were always intact in DVGs despite the fact that both proteins are dispensable for HCV genome replication. Mechanistic studies showed that transmembrane segment 3 (TMS3) of NS2, located immediately upstream of its protease domain, was required for the cleavage of NS2-NS3 and the replication of DVGs. Moreover, we identified a highly conserved secondary structure (SL750) within the core domain 2-coding region that is critical for HCV genome packaging. In summary, our analysis of serum-derived HCV DVGs revealed novel viral cis elements that play important roles in virus replication and assembly.IMPORTANCE HCV DVGs have been identified in vivo and in vitro, but their biogenesis and physiological significances remain elusive. In addition, a conventional packaging signal has not yet been identified on the HCV RNA genome, and mechanisms underlying the specificity in the encapsidation of the HCV genome into infectious particles remain to be uncovered. Here, we identified new viral cis elements critical for the HCV life cycle by determining genetic constraints that define the boundary of serum-derived HCV DVGs. We found that transmembrane segment 3 of NS2, located immediately upstream of its protease domain, was required for the cleavage of NS2-NS3 and the replication of DVGs. We identified a highly conserved secondary structure (SL750) within the core-coding region that is critical for HCV genome packaging. In summary, our analysis of serum-derived HCV DVGs revealed previously unexpected novel cis elements critical for HCV replication and morphogenesis.

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A screen for genetic suppressor elements of hepatitis C virus identifies a supercharged protein inhibitor of viral replication.

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A screen for genetic suppressor elements of hepatitis C virus identifies a supercharged protein inhibitor of viral replication.

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