title: CpG methylation participates in regulation of hepatitis B virus gene expression in host sperm and sperm-derived embryos.
abstract: This study was undertaken to investigate relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) CpG methylation and HBV gene transcription in sperm and sperm-derived embryos.
  
  
  
  HBV-infected patient sperm and HBV plasmid-transfected donor sperm were subjected to interspecific in vitro fertilization, methylation-specific PCR, bisulfite sequencing PCR, reverse transcription PCR and real-time quantitative PCR.
  
  
  
  Positive methylation bands for CpG islands II and III in the HBV genome were observed in patient sperm but not in controls, and methylation percentages of CpG sites varied among different patient sperm samples. After fertilization, CpG sites were highly demethylated in embryos. Transcriptional levels of HBV X and S genes increased with decrease in CpG site methylation percentages.
  
  
  
  HBV CpG sites can be methylated in patient sperm before maturation. Methylation of CpG islands II and III participates in transcriptional regulation of HBV X and S genes, respectively, in sperm and sperm-derived embryos.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science & Engineering, Paul Sabatier University-Toulouse III, Toulouse 31062, France.
authors.forename: ChengYao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Genetics, Chengdu Jinjiang Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care, Chengdu 610066, China.
authors.forename: TingTing
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: XiaoFang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Genetics, Chengdu Jinjiang Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care, Chengdu 610066, China.
authors.forename: PengHao
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Genetics, Chengdu Jinjiang Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care, Chengdu 610066, China.
authors.forename: JiHua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: QingDong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Birth Defects & Reproductive Health of the National Health & Family Planning Commission, Chongqing Population & Family Planning Science & Technology Research Institute, Chongqing 400020, China.
authors.forename: ZhiWei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Genetics, Chengdu Jinjiang Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care, Chengdu 610066, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Genetics, Chengdu Jinjiang Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care, Chengdu 610066, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Genetics, Chengdu Jinjiang Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care, Chengdu 610066, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Genetics, Chengdu Jinjiang Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care, Chengdu 610066, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Genetics, Chengdu Jinjiang Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care, Chengdu 610066, China.
authors.forename: TianHua
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D018899:CpG Islands; D006224:Cricetinae; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015534:Trans-Activators; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C057628:hepatitis B virus X protein
keywords: hepatitis B virus; methylation and gene expression; sperm and embryos