Efficient replication systems for hepatitis C virus using a new human hepatoma cell line.
Persistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes chronic liver diseases and is a serious global health problem. Cell culture-based persistent HCV RNA replication systems and infectious HCV production systems are widely used in HCV research. However, persistent HCV production systems have been developed only for HuH-7 hepatoma cells. Here we found a new human hepatoma cell line, Li23, that enables persistent HCV production and anti-HCV reagent assay. Li23's cDNA expression profile differed from HuH-7's, although the two cells had similar liver-specific expression profiles. We used HCV RNA with a specific combination of adaptive mutations to develop an HCV replicon system and genome-length HCV RNA replicating systems including a reporter assay system. Finally, Li23-derived cells persistently produced infectious virus of an HCV strain. Li23-derived cells are potentially useful for understanding the HCV life cycle and for finding antiviral targets.
Kato
Nobuyuki
N
Department of Tumor Virology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Mori
Kyoko
K
Abe
Ken-ichi
K
Dansako
Hiromichi
H
Kuroki
Misao
M
Ariumi
Yasuo
Y
Wakita
Takaji
T
Ikeda
Masanori
M
D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged