A novel hepatitis B virus X-interactive protein: cytochrome C oxidase III.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus-encoded X protein has been shown to be capable of activating many different viral and cellular promoters through protein-protein interactions and to contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. As its mechanism has not yet been identified unequivocally, the aim of the present study was to screen the cellular proteins that can interact with X protein. METHODS: The yeast two-hybrid system was used to screen the X-interactive protein. False positive clones were eliminated by segregation analysis, and then putative positive clones were amplified, sequenced and analyzed with bioinformatics. A mating experiment was performed to confirm the binding of putative proteins to X protein in the yeast cells. The specific interaction between X protein and putative proteins in mammalian cells was verified by coimmunoprecipitation. RESULTS: The hepatitis B virus X-interactive protein recovered from a human liver cDNA library was cytochrome C oxidase III. The specific interaction between protein X and cytochrome C oxidase III was verified by mating experiment and coimmunoprecipitation of COS7 cell lysates expressing both proteins. CONCLUSION: These data support the speculation that cytochrome C oxidase III is a novel functional target of hepatitis B virus X protein in cells.

[Adenovirus mediated expression of interleukin 12 regulating hepatitis C virus E2 gene immunization-induced immune response].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the regulating effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelop (E) 2 gene immunization-induced immune responses by adenovirus mediated interleukin 12 (IL-12). METHODS: HCV E2 protein was expressed and purified from NIH 3T3 and then used as an antigen to detect antibodies against HCV E2. With 51Cr release, SP2/0 expressing HCV E2 was used as target cell to detect specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) response; adenovirus recombined IL-12 was propagated by 293 cell. HCV E2 recombinant and adenovirus recombined IL-12 were injected into the quadriceps femoris muscles and abdominal cavities of 6-8 weeks old BALB/C mice. Sera were collected at 2, 3, and 4 weeks and detected for antibodies for E2. Spleen cells isolated at 4 weeks were analyzed for specific CTL response. RESULTS: It was found that expression of IL-12 at an undetectable level did enhance HCV E2 gene immunization-induced CTL activity and there was no effect on its hormonal immune response. CONCLUSION: Using adenovirus to express interleukin 12 was helpful for regulation of HCV E2 gene immunization-induced immune response. Combined HCV E2 and IL-12 can render a strong anti-HCV CTL activity and may be of use in the development of HCV gene vaccine in the future.

Lamivudine for patients with chronic hepatitis B and advanced liver disease.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of antiviral therapy in preventing disease progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B and advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis is unknown. METHODS: Patients with chronic hepatitis B who had histologically confirmed cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive lamivudine (100 mg per day) or placebo for a maximum of five years. Of 651 patients, 436 were assigned to receive lamivudine and 215 to receive placebo. The primary end point was time to disease progression, defined by hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, bleeding gastroesophageal varices, or death related to liver disease. An independent data and safety monitoring board monitored the progress of the study and performed interim analyses of the data. RESULTS: We randomly assigned 651 patients (98 percent Asian and 85 percent male) to receive lamivudine or placebo. The study was terminated after a median duration of treatment of 32.4 months (range, 0 to 42) owing to a significant difference between treatment groups in the number of end points reached. End points were reached by 7.8 percent of the patients receiving lamivudine and 17.7 percent of those receiving placebo (hazard ratio for disease progression, 0.45; P=0.001). The Child-Pugh score increased in 3.4 percent of the patients receiving lamivudine and 8.8 percent of those receiving placebo (hazard ratio, 0.45; P=0.02), whereas hepatocellular carcinoma occurred in 3.9 percent of those in the lamivudine group and 7.4 percent of those in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.49; P=0.047). Genotypic resistance YMDD mutations developed in 49 percent of the patients treated with lamivudine, and the Child-Pugh score was more likely to increase in patients with these mutations than in the other patients treated with lamivudine (7 percent vs. <1 percent). Overall, 12 percent of the patients in the lamivudine group and 18 percent of the patients in the placebo group reported serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous treatment with lamivudine delays clinical progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B and advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis by significantly reducing the incidence of hepatic decompensation and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Cytochrome C oxidase III interacts with hepatitis B virus X protein in vivo by yeast two-hybrid system.

AIM: To screen and identify the proteins which interact with hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein in hepatocytes by yeast two-hybrid system and to explore the effects of X protein in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: With HBV X gene amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), HBV X bait plasmid, named pAS2-1-X, was constructed by yeast-two hybridization system3 and verified by auto-sequencing assay. pAS2-1-X was transformed into the yeast AH109, and X-BD fusion protein expressed in the yeast cells was detected by Western blotting. The yeast cells cotransformed with pAS2-1-X and normal human liver cDNA library were grown in selective SC/-trp-leu-his-ade medium. The second screen was performed with beta-gal activity detection, and false positive clones were eliminated by segregation analysis, true positive clones were amplified, sequenced and analyzed with bioinformatics. Mating experiment was performed to confirm the binding of putative proteins to X protein in the yeast cells. RESULTS: Bait plasmid pAS2-1-X was successfully constructed and pAS2-1-X correctly expressed BD-X fusion protein in yeast AH109. One hundred and three clones grew in the selective SC/-trp-leu-his-ade medium, and only one clone passed through beta-gal activity detection and segregation analysis. The inserted cDNA fragment showed high homology with Homo sapiens cytochrome C oxidase III (COXIII). Furthermore, mating experiment identified that the binding of COXIII to X protein was specific. CONCLUSION: COXIII protein is a novel protein that can interact with X protein in vivo by yeast two-hybrid system, and may contribute to the development of HCC through the interaction with X protein.

[Screening hepatitis B virus X-interactive proteins by yeast two-hybrid system].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis B virus-encoded X protein is a promiscuous transactivator and contributes to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Protein-protein interaction seems to be crucial for HBx transactivation. The aim of this study was to screen and identify the proteins which interact with hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein by yeast two-hybrid system. METHODS: HBV X gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HBV X bait plasmid, named pAS2-1-X, was constructed by yeast-two hybridization system 3 and verified by sequencing. pAS2-1-X was transformed into the yeast AH109, and X-BD fusion protein expressed in the yeast cells was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Yeast cells cotransformed with pAS2-1-X and normal human liver cDNA library were cultured in selective SC/-trp-leu-his-ade medium. The second screening was performed with beta-gal activity detection. The false positive clones were eliminated by segregation analysis and mating experiment. The real positive clones were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed with bioinformatics. RESULTS: Bait plasmid pAS2-1-X was successfully constructed. The result of Western blot analysis confirmed that pAS2-1-X correctly expressed X-BD fusion protein in the transformed yeast AH109. Ninety-seven clones grew in the selective SC/-trp-leu-his-ade medium; however, only one clone past through the beta-gal activity detection, segregation analysis, and mating experiment. The inserted cDNA fragment of positive clone showed high homology with Fis gene. CONCLUSION: Fis protein is a novel protein which can interact with X protein in vivo by yeast two-hybrid system.

[Preparation and application of the monoclonal antibody against hepatoma-specific gamma-glutamyltransferase].

OBJECTIVE: To prepare a monoclonal antibody against hepatoma-specific gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT-II) and study it's application. METHODS: Two Bal B/C mice were immunized with pure GGT-II, then their spleen cells were separated and fused to SP 2/0 myeloma cells so as to make hybridoma cell strain which could yield monoclonal antibody against GGT-II. And it's effect of binding GGT-II was detected by competitive inhibitory enzyme linked-immunosorbance assay (ELISA). RESULTS: A mouse hybridoma cell strain which could steadily secrete the monoclonal antibody against GGT-II was obtained and named 2G4F6B2. This monoclonal antibody belonged to IgG1 subclass and was specific to GGT-II, without cross-reaction to GGT-II. The result of detecting human serum GGT-II by ELISA with the monoclonal antibody accorded with that by polyacrylamide gradient electrophoresis. CONCLUSION: The monoclonal antibody against GGT-II prepared in this study has high specificity and can be applied in clinic to detect human serum GGT-II.

Seek protein which can interact with hepatitis B virus X protein from human liver cDNA library by yeast two-hybrid system.

AIM: To seek the X associated protein (XAP) with the constructed bait vector pAS2-1X from normal human liver cDNA library. METHODS: The X region of the HBV gene was amplied by PCR and cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pAS2-1. The reconstituted plasmid pAS2-1X was transformed into the yeast cells and the expression of X protein (pX) was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Yeast cells were cotransformed with pAS2-1X and the normal human liver cDNA library and were grown in selective SC/-trp-leu-his-ade medium, the second screen was performed with the LacZ report gene. Furthermore, segregation analysis and mating experiment were performed to eliminate the false positive and the true positive clones were selected for PCR and sequencing. RESULTS: Reconstituted plasmid pAS2-1X including the anticipated fragment of X gene was proved by auto-sequencing assay. Western blot analysis showed that reconstituted plasmid pAS2-1X expressed BD:X fusion protein in yeast cells. Of 5 x 10(6) transformed colonies screened,65 grew in the selective SC/-trp-leu-his-ade medium, 5 scored positive for beta-gal activity, and only 2 remaining clones passed through the segregation analysis and mating experiment. Sequence analysis identified that two clones contained similar cDNA fragment:GAACTTGCG. CONCLUSION: The short peptide(glutacid-leucine-alanine)is a possible required site for XAP binding to pX. Normal human liver cDNA library has difficulties in expressing the integrated XAP on yeast cells.

Establishment of a nonradioactive assay for 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase and its application in chronic hepatitis C patients receiving interferon-alpha

AIM:To establish a nonradioactive assay for 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase (2-5 AS) and to measure the 2-5AS in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) extracts of patients with chronic hepatitis C before IFN-alphainjection, 24 hours and one month after the first injection.METHODS: 2-5AS in cell extracts of PBMCs from 10 normal persons and 15 chronic hepatitis C patients were determined with PEI cellulose thin-layer chromatography.RESULTS: The assay of 2-5AS in human PBMC was found to be rapid, sensitive, specific and reliable. The 2-5AS activity of PBMC in normal persons was in a quite low level (2.0%), and it was increased about ten-folds after stimulation of IFN (19.7%), (P < 0.01). In 15 chronic hepatitic C patients, the basal levels of 2-5AS before IFN treatment were higher than those of normal persons, being much higher in the group showing poor response to IFN treatment, but 24h after the first injection of IFN-alphathe 2-5AS level showed a more rapid and much greater rise in those patients with a good response.CONCLUSION: 2-5AS may be a useful parameter of biological response during the IFN therapy.