title: The role of hepatitis B virus X protein is related to its differential intracellular localization.
abstract: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been strongly associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. HBV encodes an oncogenic hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx), which is a multifunctional regulator that modulates signal transduction, transcription, cell cycle progress, protein degradation, apoptosis, and genetic stability through direct and indirect interaction with host factors. The subcellular localization of HBx is primarily cytoplasmic, with a small fraction in the nucleus. In addition, high levels of HBx expression lead to an abnormal mitochondrial distribution. The dynamic distribution of HBx could be important to the multiple functions of HBx at different stages of the HBV life cycle. This short review presents an overview of the differential roles of HBx as a function of its intracellular localization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
authors.forename: Jingwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Tucheng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Sujin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Guanxin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Junwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D015534:Trans-Activators; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C057628:hepatitis B virus X protein; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex