Deciphering the phospho-signature induced by hepatitis B virus in primary human hepatocytes
bioRxiv – April 10, 2024
Source: medRxiv/bioRxiv/arXiv
Summary
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) significantly alters protein phosphorylation in liver cells, impacting cellular functions. This study reveals how HBV influences kinase activity, which is crucial for viral replication. By analyzing primary human hepatocytes, researchers identified key phosphorylation changes that could inform future treatments against HBV.
Abstract
Phosphorylation is a major post-translation modification (PTM) of proteins which is finely tuned by the activity of several hundred kinases and phosphatases. It controls most if not all cellular pathways including anti-viral responses. Accordingly, viruses often induce important changes in the phosphorylation of host factors that can either promote or counteract viral replication. Among more than 500 kinases constituting the human kinome only few have been described as important for the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infectious cycle, and most of them intervene during early or late infectious steps by phosphorylating the viral Core protein (HBc) protein. In addition, little is known on the consequences of HBV infection on the activity of cellular kinases.