0000000001130765
AUTHOR
Nicole Thomé
γ2-Adaptin, a Novel Ubiquitin-interacting Adaptor, and Nedd4 Ubiquitin Ligase Control Hepatitis B Virus Maturation
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) budding from infected cells is a tightly regulated process that requires both core and envelope structures. Here we report that HBV uses cellular γ2-adaptin and Nedd4, possibly in conjunction with ubiquitin, to coordinate its assembly and release. In search of interaction partners of the viral L envelope protein, we previously discovered γ2-adaptin, a putative endosomal sorting and trafficking adaptor of the adaptor protein complex family. We now demonstrate that the viral core interacts with the same γ2-adaptor and that disruption of the HBV/γ2-adaptin interactions inhibits virus production. Mutational analyses revealed a hitherto unknown ubiquitin-binding activity …
Functional incorporation of green fluorescent protein into hepatitis B virus envelope particles
AbstractThe envelope of hepatitis B virus (HBV), containing the L, M, and S proteins, is essential for virus entry and maturation. For direct visualization of HBV, we determined whether envelope assembly could accommodate the green fluorescent protein (GFP). While the C-terminal addition of GFP to S trans-dominant negatively inhibited empty envelope particle secretion, the N-terminal GFP fusion to S (GFP.S) was co-integrated into the envelope, giving rise to fluorescent particles. Microscopy and topogenesis analyses demonstrated that the proper intracellular distribution and folding of GFP.S, required for particle export were rescued by interprotein interactions with wild-type S. Thereby, a…