ABSTRACT
Interferon (IFN) induces the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) to inhibit viral replication. Two motifs of the PKR-binding domain exist in the E2 and the NS5A regions of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). These regions are called the PKR-eukaryotic transcription factor (elF2-alpha) phosphorylation homology domain (PePHD), and the IFN sensitivity-determining region (ISDR). Both regions are inhibited by PKR. Thus, several studies have reported the relationship between these regions and IFN responsiveness and the HCV viral load. However, the data obtained from these studies remain controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the genomic heterogeneity of the PePHD and the ISDR in patients with genotype 3a and how this impacts HCV replication and the response to IFN therapy. Twenty-one male patients infected with HCV genotype 3a were studied. The PePHD was well conserved, and mutations were found in only one amino acid position in two patients. Patients with three or more mutations in the ISDR had lower viral loads than those with fewer than two mutations (192.2 ± 176.7 vs. 1279.4 ± 997.6 KIU/ml, P = 0.0277). Ten (71.4%) of 14 patients achieved a sustained virological response to IFN therapy. No specific amino acid substitutions in the PePHD and the ISDR were associated with IFN responsiveness; however, the number of mutations in the ISDR was significantly associated with the HCV viral load. The findings from this study suggest that the ISDR plays an important role in regulating viral replication in patients infected with HCV genotype 3a.
Subject(s)
Hepacivirus/drug effects , Hepacivirus/genetics , Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy , Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology , Interferons/therapeutic use , Viral Nonstructural Proteins/chemistry , Viral Nonstructural Proteins/genetics , eIF-2 Kinase/metabolism , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Amino Acid Motifs , Amino Acid Sequence , Amino Acid Substitution , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , Female , Genotype , Humans , Interferons/metabolism , Japan , Male , Middle Aged , Phosphorylation , RNA, Viral/genetics , Sequence Alignment , Sequence Analysis, RNA , Sequence Homology, Amino Acid , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Viral Load , Viral Nonstructural Proteins/metabolism , eIF-2 Kinase/geneticsABSTRACT
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be classified into six major genotypes, the prevalences of which differ around the world. In Japan, the main genotypes are HCV 1 and HCV 2; others are found only rarely. Little is known about the prevalence in Japan of HCV genotype 4 which, is found frequently in North and Central Africa and the Middle East. Thus, we conducted a study to clarify distribution of HCV genotype 4 and the clinical demographics of patients with HCV genotype 4 in Japan. We examined HCV genotypes in 899 Japanese individuals with HCV viremia living in Aichi Prefecture, including 63 hemophiliacs. Four patients (0.4%) were infected with HCV genotype 4. All four of these patients were male hemophiliacs who had received clotting factors from foreign countries. Three patients were co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); none were co-infected with GB virus-C/hepatitis G virus. Phylogenetic analysis of the El region indicated that all four patients were infected with subtype 4a. This subtype is related genetically to a subtype previously reported in Japanese and Italian hemophiliacs. HCV genotype 4 is indeed rare in Japan and may be detected only among hemophiliacs who have received inactivated clotting factor concentrates from foreign countries.
ABSTRACT
To characterize the function of a novel Src homology 3 (SH3) adapter protein termed NESH, we have established transfectants stably expressing NESH. We observed that every clone of NESH transfectants caused a marked reduction in motility, although the clones exhibited no significant differences in intrinsic cell growth compared with the control cells in vitro. The NESH transfectants also exhibited significant reduction in tumor metastatic potential in vivo. We found that NESH expression is frequently lost in invasive cancer cell lines despite its ubiquitous expression in normal tissues. The SH3 domain of NESH seems to interact with p21-activated kinase (PAK), which is involved in regulation of cell motility. Furthermore, a significant decrease in PAK phosphorylation at (402)Thr was found in NESH transfectants. Taken together, these results suggest that NESH inhibits ectopic metastasis of tumor cells as well as cell migration through interaction with intracellular molecules such as PAK that are essential for cell motility.