1. Hepatitis B Virus X Protein Partially Substitutes for E1A Transcriptional Function during Adenovirus Infection
- Author
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Aleem Siddiqui, Hugh F. Maguire, and Jerome Schaack
- Subjects
DNA Replication ,Gene Expression Regulation, Viral ,Transcriptional Activation ,Hepatitis B virus ,Hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase ,viruses ,RNA polymerase II ,RNA polymerase III ,Viral life cycle ,Transcription (biology) ,Virology ,medicine ,Tumor Cells, Cultured ,Humans ,Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins ,RNA, Messenger ,Adenovirus infection ,Regulation of gene expression ,biology ,medicine.disease ,Molecular biology ,digestive system diseases ,HBx ,DNA, Viral ,biology.protein ,Trans-Activators ,Adenovirus E1 Proteins ,RNA, Viral ,Gene Deletion - Abstract
Lack of anin vitroculture system for human hepatitis B virus has hampered the ability to address fundamental questions regarding the viral life cycle and the effect of viral gene products during productive infection. To study the activity of HBV X protein (HBx) in the context of a viral infectious cycle, we provided HBxin transduring adenovirus infection of liver-derived cells. In hepatoma cells infected with adenovirus mutants deficient in expression of various E1A products, HBx was able to partially substitute for the transcriptional activation function of E1A. HBx also activated adenovirus replication, but to a lesser extent than the activation of transcription. Adenovirus genes transcribed by either RNA polymerase II or RNA polymerase III were activated by HBx during infection. These results suggest that HBx and E1A activate transcription by a similar mechanism and that this viral infection system will be useful for characterization of the functional activities of HBx.
- Published
- 1996
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