The Exosome-Associated Tetraspanin CD63 Contributes to the Efficient Assembly and Infectivity of the Hepatitis B Virus.

ABSTRACT: Currently, the hepatocellular trafficking pathways that are used by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) during viral infection and shedding are poorly defined. It is known that the HBV uses late endosomal and multivesicular body (MVB) compartments for assembly and release. The intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) generated within MVBs have also been implicated in the late synthesis stages of a variety of pathogenic viruses. We recently observed that the HBV within infected hepatocytes appears to associate with the tetraspanin protein CD63, known to be a prominent and essential component of ILVs. Immunofluorescence microscopy of HBV-expressing cells showed that CD63 colocalized with HBV proteins (large hepatitis B surface antigens [LHBs] and hepatitis B core) and labeled an exceptionally large number of se

SUBMITTER: Ninomiya M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8279471 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature