title: Intracellular transport of hepatitis B virus.
abstract: For genome multiplication hepadnaviruses use the transcriptional machinery of the cell that is found within the nucleus. Thus the viral genome has to be transported through the cytoplasm and nuclear pore. The intracytosolic translocation is facilitated by the viral capsid that surrounds the genome and that interacts with cellular microtubules. The subsequent passage through the nuclear pore complexes (NPC) is mediated by the nuclear transport receptors importin alpha and beta. Importin alpha binds to the C-terminus of the capsid protein that comprises a nuclear localization signal (NLS). The exposure of the NLS is regulated and depends upon genome maturation and/or phosphorylation of the capsid protein. As for other karyophilic cargos using this pathway importin alpha interacts with importin beta that facilitates docking of the import complex to the NPC and the passage through the pore. Being a unique strategy, the import of the viral capsid is incomplete in that it becomes arrested inside the nuclear basket, which is a cage-like structure on the karyoplasmic face of the NPC. Presumably only this compartment provides the factors that are required for capsid disassembly and genome release that is restricted to those capsids comprising a mature viral DNA genome.
authors.affiliation: CNRS-REGER (UMR 5097), Bâtiment 3A, Université Bordeaux 2, 146 rue Leo Saignat, F-33076 Bordeaux Cedex, France. michael.kann@u-bordeaux2.fr
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kann
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rabe
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D002213:Capsid / Q000502:physiology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals / Q000502:physiology; D022022:Nuclear Pore; D028901:alpha Karyopherins / Q000502:physiology; D028961:beta Karyopherins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D028901:alpha Karyopherins; D028961:beta Karyopherins