Productive HBV infection of well-differentiated, hNTCP-expressing human hepatoma-derived (Huh7) cells

• Published in: Virologica Sinica Vol. 32; no. 6; pp. 465 - 475
• Main Authors: Zhou, Ming, Zhao, Kaitao, Yao, Yongxuan, Yuan, Yifei, Pei, Rongjuan, Wang, Yun, Chen, Jizheng, Hu, Xue, Zhou, Yuan, Chen, Xinwen, Wu, Chunchen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01.12.2017; KeAi Publishing Communications Ltd
• Subjects: Antiviral agents; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell culture; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell lines; Culture Media - chemistry; Dimethyl sulfoxide; Dimethyl Sulfoxide - metabolism; Disease resistance; Drug discovery; Gene Expression; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B virus - growth & development; Hepatocytes; Hepatocytes - virology; Hepatoma; Humans; Infections; Limiting factors; Liver cancer; Medical Microbiology; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Oncology; Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Dependent - biosynthesis; Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Dependent - genetics; Physical characteristics; Polyethylene glycol; Polyethylene Glycols - metabolism; Research Article; Symporters - biosynthesis; Symporters - genetics; Virology; Virus Cultivation - methods; dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); susceptibility; Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP); polyethylene glycol (PEG); Hepatitis B virus (HBV); Huh7
• ISSN: 1674-0769; 1995-820X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12250-017-3983-x

Feasible and effective cell models for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are required for investigating the complete lifecycle of this virus, including the early steps of viral entry. Resistance to dimethyl sulfoxide/polyethylene glycol (DMSO/PEG), hNTCP expression, and a differentiated state are the limiting factors for successful HBV infection models. In the present study, we used a hepatoma cell line (Huh7D hNTCP ) to overcome these limiting factors so that it exhibits excellent susceptibility to HBV infection. To achieve this goal, different hepatoma cell lines were tested with 2.5% DMSO / 4% PEG8000, and one resistant cell line (Huh7D) was used to construct a stable hNTCP-expressing cell line (Huh7D hNTCP ) using a recombinant lentivirus system. Then, the morphological characteristics and differentiation molecular markers of Huh7D hNTCP cells with or without DMSO treatment were characterized. Finally, the susceptibility of Huh7D hNTCP cells to HBV infection was assessed. Our results showed that Huh7D cells were resistant to 2.5% DMSO / 4% PEG8000, whereas the others were not. Huh7D hNTCP cells were established to express a high level of hNTCP compared to liver extracts, and Huh7D hNTCP cells rapidly transformed into a non-dividing, well-differentiated polarized phenotype under DMSO treatment. Huh7D hNTCP cells fully supported the entire lifecycle of HBV infection. This cell culture system will be useful for the analysis of host-virus interactions, which should facilitate the discovery of antiviral drugs and vaccines.