Dataset Information

Transcriptome profiles of primary human hepatocytes treated with HBV preS1 peptide with or without bile acids

ABSTRACT: Chronic hepatitis B, C and D virus (HBV, HCV, HDV) infections are leading causes of liver disease and cancer worldwide. Although these viruses differ markedly in their life cycle and genomic organization, they exclusively infect hepatocytes. Recently, the sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) was identified as the first functional receptor for HBV and HDV. Here, we report that NTCP also facilitates HCV entry into human hepatocytes, by augmenting the bile acids-mediated repression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), including IFITM2 and IFITM3, to increase the susceptibility of cells to HCV entry. Furthermore, an HBV-derived preS1 peptide, known to bind NTCP and to inhibit bile acids uptake and HBV infection, inhibits HCV entry by enhancing the expression of ISGs. Our study highlights NTCP as a novel player linking bile acids metabolism to the interferon response in hepatocytes and establishes a role for NTCP in the entry process of multiple hepatotropic viruses, via distinct mechanisms. Collectively, these findings enhance our understanding of hepatitis virus-host interactions and suggest NTCP as an attractive antiviral target for HBV/HCV co-infection.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE85091 | GEO | 2016/10/25

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA336157

REPOSITORIES: GEO

ACCESS DATA

Shared Molecules

Only show the datasets with similarity scores above: 0.5

Threshold

0.5

Similar Datasets

Project description:The same entry pathway is shared by HBV and HDV. Both viruses attach to hepatocytes via heparansulfate proteoglycan and utilize sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) for a specifc entry. This specific entry step is inhibited by Myrcludex B, a 47-aa lipopeptide myristoylated at the N-terminus. Here we compared the cellular response in the gene expression level triggerred by both viruses. The microarray data shows that HBV infection leads to a silent response but HDV infection triggers high level of innate response such as inteferon-stimulated genes (ISG) expression. Moreover, the response depends on the hepatic cell lines used for infection. Compared to HepG2 cells, HuH7 can not induce ISG even infected by HDV. Abstract of manuscript: Background & aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and D virus (HDV) co-infections cause the most severe form of viral hepatitis. HDV induces an innate immune response, but it is unknown how the host cell senses HDV and if this defense affects HDV replication. We aim to characterize interferon (IFN) activation by HDV, identify the responsible sensor and evaluate the effect of IFN on HDV replication. Methods: HDV and HBV susceptible hepatoma cell lines and primary human hepatocytes (PHH) were used for infection studies. Viral markers and cellular gene expression were analyzed at different time points after infection. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) required for HDV-mediated IFN activation and the impact on HDV replication were studied using stable knock-down or overexpression of the PRRs. Results: Microarray analysis revealed that HDV but not HBV infection activated a broad range of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) in HepG2NTCP cells. HDV strongly activated IFN-β and IFN-λ in cell lines and PHH. HDV induced IFN levels remained unaltered upon RIG-I or TLR3 knock-down, but were almost completely abolished upon MDA5 depletion. Conversely, overexpression of MDA5 but not RIG-I and TLR3 in Huh7.5NTCP cells partially restored ISG induction. During long-term infection, IFN levels gradually diminished in both HepG2NTCP and HepaRGNTCP cell lines. MDA5 depletion had little effect on HDV replication despite dampening HDV-induced IFN response. Moreover, treatment with type I or type III IFNs did not abolish HDV replication. Conclusions: Active replication of HDV induces an IFN-β/λ response, which is predominantly mediated by MDA5. This IFN response and exogenous IFN treatment have only a moderate effect on HDV replication in vitro indicating the adaption of HDV replication to an IFN activated state.

Project description:Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections remain a health burden affecting ~250 million people worldwide. Thus far, available interferon-alpha (IFNα)-based therapies have shown unsatisfactory cure rates, and alternative therapeutic molecules are still required. However, their development has been hampered because accessible cell models supporting relevant HBV replication and appropriate antiviral activity are lacking. Strategies that reverse epigenetic alterations offer a unique opportunity for cell reprogramming, which is valuable for restoring altered cellular functions in human cell lines. This work aimed to investigate the feasibility of converting HepG2 cells that stably overexpress the HBV entry receptor (sodium/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide, NTCP) toward IFNα-responsive cells using epigenetic reprogramming. Herein, we showed that an epigenetic regimen with non-cytotoxic doses of the demethylating compound 5-azacytidine restored the anti-HBV action of IFNα in epigenetically reprogrammed HepG2-NTCP-C4 cells, named REP-HepG2-NTCP cells. Thus, a significant inhibition in HBV DNA levels was measured in REP-HepG2-NTCP cells after IFNα treatment. This inhibitory effect was associated with the enhancement of IFNα-mediated induction of critical interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), which was limited in non-reprogrammed cells. In particular, our data indicated that re-expression of 2’-5’-oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1) and interferon regulatory factor 9 (IRF9) was the result of an epigenetically driven unmasking of these genes in reprogrammed cells. At last, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of the IFN analog CDM-3008 in REP-HepG2-NTCP cells and demonstrated the efficiency of this chemical compound in triggering ISG induction and HBV inhibition. In summary, this study shows that epigenetic reprogramming promotes the IFNα response in HBV-infected cells and is potentially attractive for cell-based experimental screening of IFN-like compounds.