Characterization of early transcriptomic changes associated with hepatitis B virus exposure in human and macaque immune cell populations
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Macaca fascicularis Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE223073 | GEO | 2023/08/08
REPOSITORIES: GEO
Similar Datasets
Project description:Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an incurable global health threat responsible for causing liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. During the genesis of infection, HBV establishes an independent minichromosome consisting of the viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) genome and host histones. The viral X gene must be expressed immediately upon infection to induce degradation of the host silencing factor, Smc5/6. However, the relationship between cccDNA chromatinization and X gene transcription remains poorly understood. Establishing a reconstituted viral minichromosome platform, we found that nucleosome occupancy in cccDNA drives X transcription. We corroborated these findings in cells and further showed that the chromatin destabilizing molecule CBL137 inhibits X transcription and HBV infection in hepatocytes. Our results shed light on a long-standing paradox and represent a potential new therapeutic avenue for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.
2024-06-19 | GSE270130 | GEO
Project description:Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an incurable global health threat capable of causing liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. During the genesis of infection, HBV establishes an independent chromosome, cccDNA, consisting of the circular viral genome and host histones. The first viral protein expressed, HBx, induces degradation of a host silencing factor to facilitate infection. However, the relationship between cccDNA’s chromatin and early HBx transcription state remains poorly understood. Using reconstituted viral chromosomes, we found that nucleosomes in cccDNA drive HBx transcription. We corroborated these findings in cells and further showed that chromatin destabilizing drugs inhibit viral transcription and antigen expression in hepatocytes. Our results shed new light on a long-standing paradox and represent a novel therapeutic avenue for the treatment of chronic HBV.
2023-03-03 | GSE225715 | GEO
Project description:Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an incurable global health threat capable of causing liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. During the genesis of infection, HBV establishes an independent chromosome, cccDNA, consisting of the circular viral genome and host histones. The first viral protein expressed, HBx, induces degradation of a host silencing factor to facilitate infection. However, the relationship between cccDNA’s chromatin and early HBx transcription state remains poorly understood. Using reconstituted viral chromosomes, we found that nucleosomes in cccDNA drive HBx transcription. We corroborated these findings in cells and further showed that chromatin destabilizing drugs inhibit viral transcription and antigen expression in hepatocytes. Our results shed new light on a long-standing paradox and represent a novel therapeutic avenue for the treatment of chronic HBV.
2023-03-03 | GSE225714 | GEO
Project description:Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a small DNA virus that replicates via an episomal covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) that serves as the transcriptional template for viral mRNAs. The host protein, CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), is a key regulator of cellular transcription by maintaining epigenetic boundaries, nucleosome phasing, stabilisation of long-range chromatin loops and directing alternative exon splicing. We previously reported that CTCF binds two conserved motifs within Enhancer I of the HBV genome and represses viral transcripts, however, the underlying mechanisms were not identified. We show that CTCF depletion in cells harbouring cccDNA-like HBV molecules and in de novo infected cells resulted in an increase in spliced transcripts, which was most notable in the abundant SP1 spliced transcript. In contrast, depletion of CTCF in cell lines with integrated HBV DNA had no effect on the abundance of viral transcripts and in line with this observation there was limited evidence for CTCF binding to viral integrants, suggesting that CTCF-regulation of HBV transcription is specific to episomal cccDNA. Analysis of HBV chromatin topology by Assay for Transposase Accessibility/sequencing (ATAC-Seq) revealed an accessible region spanning Enhancers I and II and the basal core promoter (BCP). Mutating the CTCF binding sites within Enhancer I resulted in a dramatic rearrangement of chromatin accessibility where the open chromatin region was no longer detected, indicating loss of the phased nucleosome up- and down- stream of the HBV enhancer/BCP. These data demonstrate that CTCF functions to regulate HBV chromatin conformation and nucleosomal positioning in episomal maintained cccDNA, which has important consequences for HBV transcription regulation.
2024-01-18 | GSE249278 | GEO
Project description:Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a small DNA virus that replicates via an episomal covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) that serves as the transcriptional template for viral mRNAs. The host protein, CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), is a key regulator of cellular transcription by maintaining epigenetic boundaries, nucleosome phasing, stabilisation of long-range chromatin loops and directing alternative exon splicing. We previously reported that CTCF binds two conserved motifs within Enhancer I of the HBV genome and represses viral transcripts, however, the underlying mechanisms were not identified. We show that CTCF depletion in cells harbouring cccDNA-like HBV molecules and in de novo infected cells resulted in an increase in spliced transcripts, which was most notable in the abundant SP1 spliced transcript. In contrast, depletion of CTCF in cell lines with integrated HBV DNA had no effect on the abundance of viral transcripts and in line with this observation there was limited evidence for CTCF binding to viral integrants, suggesting that CTCF-regulation of HBV transcription is specific to episomal cccDNA. Analysis of HBV chromatin topology by Assay for Transposase Accessibility/sequencing (ATAC-Seq) revealed an accessible region spanning Enhancers I and II and the basal core promoter (BCP). Mutating the CTCF binding sites within Enhancer I resulted in a dramatic rearrangement of chromatin accessibility where the open chromatin region was no longer detected, indicating loss of the phased nucleosome up- and down- stream of the HBV enhancer/BCP. These data demonstrate that CTCF functions to regulate HBV chromatin conformation and nucleosomal positioning in episomal maintained cccDNA, which has important consequences for HBV transcription regulation.
2024-01-18 | GSE248738 | GEO
Project description:Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects 240 million people worldwide and is a major risk factor for liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current antiviral therapy inhibits cytoplasmic HBV genomic replication, but is not curative since it does not eliminate nuclear HBV cccDNA, the genomic form that templates viral transcription and sustains viral persistence. Novel approaches that directly target the transcriptional regulation of cccDNA would therefore be highly desirable. cccDNA is assembled with cellular histone proteins into chromatin, but little is known about the regulation of HBV chromatin by histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs). Here, using a new cccDNA ChIP-Seq approach, we report the first genome-wide maps of PTMs in cccDNA-containing chromatin from de novo infected HepG2 cells, primary human hepatocytes and from HBV infected liver tissue. We find high levels of PTMs associated with active transcription enriched at specific sites within the HBV genome, and surprisingly very low levels of PTMs linked to transcriptional repression even at silent HBV promoters. We show that transcription and active PTMs in HBV chromatin are reduced by the activation of an innate immunity pathway, and that this can be recapitulated with a small molecule epigenetic modifying agent, opening the possibility that chromatin-based regulation of cccDNA transcription could be a new therapeutic approach to chronic HBV infection.
2015-10-08 | GSE68402 | GEO
Project description:Chronic infection of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a public health problem worldwide. HBV infection relies on the persistence of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in the nucleus and actively cccDNA transcription. To understand HBV cccDNA transcription regulation at single cell level, we isolated primary human hepatocytes from liver humanized FRG mice infected by one or more (two or three) HBV genotypes, and we quantified transcripts of HBV structural genes in single cells. HBV transcripts were ascribed to the transcription of individual HBV genes by 5’ end sequencing thus avoiding the ambiguity caused by the overlap of viral genome coding at the 3’ ends. Transcripts from different cccDNA in single cells were separated according to the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) among different HBV genotypes. We found that the transcription of HBV follows “all-or-none” pattern in single cells: either all of the individual cccDNA molecules actively transcribe simultaneously, or, none of them generates transcripts of the structural genes. In vitro cell infection assays with recombinant HBV are consistent with the sequencing results of ex vivo samples from natural HBV infection, and also confirm that such a pattern is apparently controlled by the expression of HBx protein. These results strongly support a synchronized transcription model of HBV cccDNA molecules in single hepatocytes, and provide new insight helpful for developing HBV cure strategy.
2022-12-01 | GSE156690 | GEO
Project description:Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) forms the basis for replication and persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the chronically infected liver. We have previously shown through the analysis of de novo HBV infected cell lines that viral transcription is subject to regulation by posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of histone proteins bound to cccDNA. We now report the successful adaptation of this ChIPseq approach for the analysis of fine-needle patient liver biopsy specimens to investigate the role of histone PTMs in chronically HBV-infected patients. Using 18 specimens from patients in different stages of chronic HBV infection our work shows that the profile of histone PTMs in chronic infection is more nuanced than observed in our previous work largely focused on acute infection in in vitro models. Specifically, we find that the majority of recovered HBV sequences are associated with the activating histone PTM H3K4me3, in line with our previous findings. We further find that the striking interpatient variability of its deposition in this patient cohort is linked to viral transcription and patient HBeAg status. Unexpectedly, we detect a significant localized deposition of the inhibitory histone PTM H3K9me3 on HBV-DNA in select patient biopsies which was not observed previously. Altogether, our results show that current in vitro models of HBV infection are unable to fully recapitulate the complex epigenetic landscape of chronic HBV infection observed in vivo and demonstrate that fine needle liver biopsy specimens can provide sufficient material to further investigate the interaction of viral and host proteins on HBV-DNA.
2019-02-07 | GSE113879 | GEO
Project description:Background & Aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health burden worldwide and currently there is no cure. The persistence of HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is the major obstacle for antiviral treatment. HBV core protein (HBc) has merged as a promising antiviral target, as it plays important roles in critical steps of viral life cycle. However, whether HBc could regulate HBV cccDNA transcription remains to be illustrated. Methods: Synthesized HBV cccDNA and HBVcircle with or without HBc deficiency were transfected into hepatocytes. A recently reported Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) mediated HBV cccDNA mouse model was employed. Two capsid assembly modulators (CAMs) were used. HBV replication markers were evaluated. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) or ChIP sequencing assays were conducted with different transcription factors, histones and RNA polymerase 2. Results: In HBV cccDNA and HBVcircle transfection assays, lack of HBc showed no effect on transcription of HBV RNA as well as HBV surface antigen production. Reconstitution of HBc did not change cccDNA derived HBV markers. Similar results were obtained in vivo, from mouse cccDNA model. ChIP data revealed similar transcription regulation of HBc deficient cccDNA chromatin with wide type cccDNA. Furthermore, CAMs treatment could not alter cccDNA transcription. Conclusions: Our results indicate that HBc neither affects histone modifications and transcription factors binding of cccDNA, nor influences cccDNA transcription. Although CAMs could reduce HBc binding to cccDNA, it does not suppress cccDNA transcriptional activity. Thus, therapeutic targeting capsid or HBc is not sufficient to reduce cccDNA transcription.
2022-04-01 | GSE199653 | GEO
Project description:In hepatocyte nuclei, hepatitis B virus (HBV) genomes occur episomally as covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). The HBV X protein (HBx) is required to initiate and maintain HBV replication and acts as host gene trans-regulator. However, functionally relevant spatiotemporal localization and interactions of cccDNA and HBx remain to be understood. This is the first study utilizing circularized chromosome conformation capture (4C) to identify regional virus-host genome interactions. We combined 4C with RNA-seq and ChIP-seq to illuminate the nuclear landscape associated with HBV episomes and HBx. Moreover, we functionally studied HBx-binding to episomal HBV DNA. In human HBV-positive HepaRG hepatocytes, 4C and ChIP revealed specific nuclear localization of HBV episomes and HBx associated with actively transcribed nuclear domains correlating well in size with constrained topological units built up by chromatin fibre loops, which are believed to constitute fundamental cell nuclear architectural units. Interestingly, HBx alone occupied transcribed chromatin domains, and its binding to HBV episomes depended on its C-terminus in vitro. In conclusion, HBx and HBV DNA similarly follow higher-order nuclear assembly patterns, specifically favoring transcriptionally active nuclear compartments. These novel observations may shed light on important unsolved problems: to understand the long-term episomal stability and the facilitation of viral persistence.
2018-04-30 | GSE100400 | GEO