title: Host heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) as a potential target to suppress hepatitis B virus replication.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection results in complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Suppressing viral replication in chronic HBV carriers is an effective approach to controlling disease progression. Although antiviral compounds are available, we aimed to identify host factors that have a significant effect on viral replication efficiency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied a group of hepatitis B carriers by associating serum viral load with their respective HBV genomes, and observed a significant association between high patient serum viral load with a natural sequence variant within the HBV enhancer II (Enh II) regulatory region at position 1752. Using a viral fragment as an affinity binding probe, we isolated a host DNA-binding protein belonging to the class of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins--hnRNP K--that binds to and modulates the replicative efficiency of HBV. In cell transfection studies, overexpression of hnRNP K augmented HBV replication, while gene silencing of endogenous hnRNP K carried out by small interfering RNAs resulted in a significant reduction of HBV viral load.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evidence presented in this study describes a wider role for hnRNP K beyond maintenance of host cellular functions and may represent a novel target for pharmacologic intervention of HBV replication.
authors: Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore.
authors: Lisa F P
authors: LF
authors: Ng
authors: Marieta
authors: M
authors: Chan
authors: Soh-Ha
authors: SH
authors: Chan
authors: Paul Chung-Pui
authors: PC
authors: Cheng
authors: Eastwood Hon-Chiu
authors: EH
authors: Leung
authors: Wei-Ning
authors: WN
authors: Chen
authors: Ee-Chee
authors: EC
authors: Ren
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000378:metabolism*; D034641:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014162:Transfection; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D034641:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K