Open AccessEnhancement of Hepatitis B Virus Replication by Its X Protein in Transgenic Mice
Author(s) -
Zhenming Xu,
T. S. Benedict Yen,
Li-Chiu Wu,
Charles R. Madden,
Wenjie Tan,
Betty L. Slagle,
Jing-Hsiung Ou
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.617
H-Index - 292
eISSN - 1070-6321
pISSN - 0022-538X
DOI - 10.1128/jvi.76.5.2579-2584.2002
Subject(s) - biology , transactivation , hepatitis b virus , transgene , virology , viral replication , gene , genetically modified mouse , viral life cycle , carcinogenesis , transcription (linguistics) , hbx , viral transformation , virus , microbiology and biotechnology , gene expression , genetics , linguistics , philosophy
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) X gene encodes a multifunctional protein that can regulate cellular signaling pathways, interact with cellular transcription factors, and induce hepatocellular oncogenesis. In spite of its diverse activities, the precise role of the X protein in the viral life cycle of HBV remains unclear. To investigate this question, we have produced transgenic mice that carry either the wild-type HBV genome or a mutated HBV genome incapable of expressing the 16.5-kDa X protein. Our results indicate that while the X protein is not absolutely essential for HBV replication or its maturation in transgenic mice, it can enhance viral replication, apparently by activating viral gene expression. These results demonstrate a transactivation role of the X protein in HBV replication in transgenic mice.