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HBV core protein allosteric modulators differentially alter cccDNA biosynthesis from de novo infection and intracellular amplification pathways
Journal article   Open access

HBV core protein allosteric modulators differentially alter cccDNA biosynthesis from de novo infection and intracellular amplification pathways

Fang Guo, Qiong Zhao, Muhammad Sheraz, Junjun Cheng, Yonghe Qi, Qing Su, Andrea Cuconati, Lai Wei, Yanming Du, Wenhui Li, …
PLoS pathogens, v 13(9), pp e1006658-e1006658
Sep 2017
PMID: 28945802
url
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1006658View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0 Open

Abstract

Antiviral Agents - pharmacology Cell Line DNA, Circular - biosynthesis DNA, Circular - genetics DNA, Viral DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase - metabolism Hepatitis B virus - physiology Hepatitis B, Chronic - virology Hepatocytes - virology Humans Nucleocapsid - drug effects Nucleocapsid - genetics Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Virus Replication - drug effects Virus Replication - physiology
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein assembles viral pre-genomic (pg) RNA and DNA polymerase into nucleocapsids for reverse transcriptional DNA replication to take place. Several chemotypes of small molecules, including heteroaryldihydropyrimidines (HAPs) and sulfamoylbenzamides (SBAs), have been discovered to allosterically modulate core protein structure and consequentially alter the kinetics and pathway of core protein assembly, resulting in formation of irregularly-shaped core protein aggregates or "empty" capsids devoid of pre-genomic RNA and viral DNA polymerase. Interestingly, in addition to inhibiting nucleocapsid assembly and subsequent viral genome replication, we have now demonstrated that HAPs and SBAs differentially modulate the biosynthesis of covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA from de novo infection and intracellular amplification pathways by inducing disassembly of nucleocapsids derived from virions as well as double-stranded DNA-containing progeny nucleocapsids in the cytoplasm. Specifically, the mistimed cuing of nucleocapsid uncoating prevents cccDNA formation during de novo infection of hepatocytes, while transiently accelerating cccDNA synthesis from cytoplasmic progeny nucleocapsids. Our studies indicate that elongation of positive-stranded DNA induces structural changes of nucleocapsids, which confers ability of mature nucleocapsids to bind CpAMs and triggers its disassembly. Understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the dual effects of the core protein allosteric modulators on nucleocapsid assembly and disassembly will facilitate the discovery of novel core protein-targeting antiviral agents that can more efficiently suppress cccDNA synthesis and cure chronic hepatitis B.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Microbiology
Parasitology
Virology
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