title: The effects of hepatitis C virus non-structural protein 3 on cell growth mediated by extracellular signal-related kinase cascades in human hepatocytes in vitro.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has become a severe health problem worldwide. The viral proteins are believed to be among the most important factors that contribute to HCV mediated pathogenesis. Accumulated evidence demonstrating that HCV non-structural protein 3 (NS3) possesses oncogenic potential, and is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation has been documented. In this study, we emphasized the effect of HCV NS3 protein on cell proliferation in the immortally normal hepatocyte QSG7701 cells. The cell line transfected with plasmid expressing NS3 protein showed enhanced cell growth, extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activation, DNA binding activities of transcription factors of activator protein 1 (AP-1) and NF-kappaB, and cyclin D1 overexpression, but without activation of Jun amino-terminal kinase or p38. Pre-treatment of NS3 protein expressing cells with ERK inhibitor, PD98059, blocked the activation of AP-1 and NF-kappaB, and inhibited cyclin D1 expression and cell proliferation. The results suggest that NS3-mediated cell growth occurs through activation of ERK/AP-1 and NF-kappaB/cyclin D1 cascades.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yingxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Shu-Yan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qiong-Qiong
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Junming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Ji-Fang
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: De-Yun
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
chemical_list: D019938:Cyclin D1; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D005419:Flavonoids; D016328:NF-kappa B; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C530104:CCND1 protein, human; C084422:NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one