Full-length GB virus C (Hepatitis G virus) RNA transcripts are infectious in primary CD4-positive T cells.
GB virus C (GBV-C or hepatitis G virus) is a recently described flavivirus which frequently leads to chronic viremia in humans. Although GBV-C is associated with acute posttransfusion hepatitis, it is not clear if the virus is pathogenic for humans. We constructed a full-length cDNA from the plasma of a person with chronic GBV-C viremia. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) transfected with full-length RNA transcripts from this GBV-C clone resulted in viral replication. This was demonstrated by serial passage of virus from cell culture supernatants, detection of increasing concentrations of positive- and negative-sense GBV-C RNA over time, and the detection of the GBV-C E2 antigen by confocal microscopy. In addition, two types of GBV-C particles were identified in cell lysates; these particles had buoyant densities of 1.06 and 1.12 to 1.17 g/ml in sucrose gradients. PBMCs sorted for expression of CD4 contained 100-fold-more GBV-C RNA than CD4-negative cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate that RNA transcripts from GBV-C full-length cDNA are infectious in primary CD4-positive T cells. In contrast, RNA transcripts from an infectious hepatitis C virus clone did not replicate in the same cell culture system. Infectious RNA transcripts from GBV-C cDNA should prove useful for studying viral replication and may allow identification of differences between GBV-C and hepatitis C virus cultivation in vitro.
Xiang
J
J
Department of Internal Medicine and Research, Iowa City Veterans Administration Medical Center and The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
Wünschmann
S
S
Schmidt
W
W
Shao
J
J
Stapleton
J T
JT
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D012367:RNA, Viral