title: A novel helper-dependent adenovirus-based cell culture model for Hepatitis C virus replication and production.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  By using the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2a JFH-1 or its chimeric strains, a HCV infection system has been previously developed through several methods- such as in vitro-transcribed JFH1-RNA transfection or stable transfection of the JFH1 cDNA into human hepatoma Huh-7 cell line or its derivatives. However, other reliable methods for delivery of the HCV genome into cells are still worth trying. The helper-dependent adenovirus (HDAd) is devoid of all viral coding sequences and has a package capacity of 37 kb, which is suitably large for the delivery of the HCV genome. Here we report a new method for delivery of the HCV genome into Huh-7 and HepG2 cells by using the HDAd vector.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results demonstrated that the infection of Huh-7 cells with the HDAdJFH1 virus led to efficient HCV replication and virion production. We found that the HCV viral RNA levels could reach 107 copies per milliliter (ml) in the culture medium. HDAdJFH1-infected Huh-7 cells could be cultured for 8 passages with the culture medium remaining infectious for naïve Huh-7 cells throughout this period. This infection system proved effective for evaluating the anti-HCV effects of IFN-α in Huh-7 cells. Co-infection of HepG2 cells with the HDAdJFH1 and HDAdmiR-122 virus also resulted in HCV expression and replication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of an HDAd-based strategy for HCV replication and production in vitro.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China. sunsh01@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Junfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yuanhui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jinsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shihui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yusen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006378:Helper Viruses / Q000235:genetics; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D012692:Serial Passage; D019562:Viral Load; D014776:Virus Cultivation / Q000379:methods; D014779:Virus Replication