Project description:What happens in cells infected with HEV is largely unknown. We used a recently established genotype 3 HEV cell culture system and profiled the host responses by RNA-seq.
Project description:Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a globally prevalent pathogen that causes 20 million infections and 60,000 fatalities annually, endangering particularly pregnant women and immunosuppressed individuals. Liver cirrhosis, which results from advanced fibrosis, is the primary symptom and leading mortality cause in chronic hepatitis E patients. However, the causation and process of liver fibrosis triggered by chronic HEV infection remain poorly understood. Here, we unexpectedly discovered that the viral multiple-domain replicase (ORF1) undergoes unique ubiquitin-proteasomal processing in HEV replicon hepatocytes, HEV-infected gerbil livers, and HEV-infected patient livers, which follows a CHIP-mediated K48 ubiquitination and produces the HEV-Derived Smad Activator (HDSA). Lacking putative helicase and RNA polymerase domains, this enriched viral polypeptide in hepatocytes and gerbil livers is non-HSP90-bound, stable, and exhibits exclusively nuclear localization. Surprisingly, HDSA markedly potentiates the fibrogenic TGF-β/Smad pathway in livers by facilitating promoter binding and coactivator recruitment of SMAD3, leading to profound liver fibrotic symptoms and damage. Thus, we have identified the first viral protein derived from the unique proteasomal processing of the host, defined its notable role in liver fibrosis, and highlighted the nature of complex host-HEV interactions that drives HEV pathogenesis.
Project description:Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, one of the most common forms of hepatitis worldwide, is often associated with extrahepatic, particularly renal, manifestations. However, the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we report the development of a de novo immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis (GN) in a kidney transplant recipient with chronic hepatitis E. Applying immunostaining, electron microscopy, and mass spectrometry after laser-capture microdissection, we show that GN developed in parallel with increasing glomerular deposition of a non-infectious, genome-free and non-glycosylated HEV open reading frame 2 (ORF2) capsid protein. No productive HEV infection of kidney cells is detected. Patients with acute hepatitis E display similar but less pronounced deposits. Our results establish a link between the production of HEV ORF2 protein and the development of hepatitis E-associated GN. The formation of glomerular IgG-HEV ORF2 immune complexes discovered here provides a mechanistic explanation of how the actually hepatotropic HEV can cause variable renal manifestations. These findings directly provide a tool for etiology-based diagnosis of hepatitis E-associated GN as a distinct entity and suggest therapeutic implications.
Project description:We aimed to identify interferon (IFN)-regulated genes that are differentially expressed during chronic HEV infection in human hepatocytes, the main site of HEV replication, using HepaRG cells.
Project description:We aimed to identify interferon (IFN)-regulated genes that are differentially expressed during chronic HEV infection in human hepatocytes, the main site of HEV replication, using HepaRG cells.
Project description:Alport syndrome is a glomerular disease. To understand the disease progression of alport syndrome and potential therapeutical effects of hEV derived from AFSCs, we performed spatial transcriptomics to profile the heterogeniety of cell populations in kidneys of mouse of AS through disease progression and hEV treated AS mice as well. Our analysis sheds light on key functional parts of the kidney responsible in disease progression as well as potential targets of hEV therapy.
Project description:We aimed to identify interferon (IFN)-regulated genes that are differentially expressed during chronic HEV infection in human hepatocytes, the main site of HEV replication, using HepaRG cells. We have performed a preliminary screen using whole-cell RNA extracts prepared from HepaRG mock-infected or infected cells to determine whether HEV was able to trigger an IFN response. Different multiplicities of infection (MOI) (10 and 100 genome equivalent (GE)/cell) and time points (D+7, D+14, D+26, D+40, D+72 and D+100) were analyzed using the PCR array. We have also treated HepaRG cells after overnight treatment with IFN-β to confirm the ability of HepaRG to respond to IFN-I treatment.
Project description:We aimed to identify interferon (IFN)-regulated genes that are differentially expressed during HEV infection in swine liver tissues.
