Chronic hepatitis caused by infection with the Hepatitis B virus is a life-threatening condition. In fact, 1 million people die annually due to liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Recently, several studies demonstrated a molecular connection between the host DNA damage response (DDR) pathway and HBV replication and reactivation. Here, we investigated the role of Ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) and Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) PI3-kinases in phosphorylation of the HBV core protein (HBc). We determined that treatment of HBc-expressing hepatocytes with genotoxic agents, e.g., etoposide or hydrogen peroxide, activated the host ATM-Chk2 pathway, as determined by increased phosphorylation of ATM at Ser1981 and Chk2 at Thr68. The activation of ATM led, in turn, to increased phosphorylation of cytoplasmic HBc at serine-glutamine (SQ) motifs located in its C-terminal domain. Conversely, down-regulation of ATM using ATM-specific siRNAs or inhibitor effectively reduced etoposide-induced HBc phosphorylation. Detailed mutation analysis of S-to-A HBc mutants revealed that S170 (S168 in a 183-aa HBc variant) is the primary site targeted by ATM-regulated phosphorylation. Interestingly, mutation of two major phosphorylation sites involving serines at positions 157 and 164 (S155 and S162 in a 183-aa HBc variant) resulted in decreased etoposide-induced phosphorylation, suggesting that the priming phosphorylation at these serine-proline (SP) sites is vital for efficient phosphorylation of SQ motifs. Notably, the mutation of S172 (S170 in a 183-aa HBc variant) had the opposite effect and resulted in massively up-regulated phosphorylation of HBc, particularly at S170. Etoposide treatment of HBV infected HepG2-NTCP cells led to increased levels of secreted HBe antigen and intracellular HBc protein. Together, our studies identified HBc as a substrate for ATM-mediated phosphorylation and mapped the phosphorylation sites. The increased expression of HBc and HBe antigens in response to genotoxic stress supports the idea that the ATM pathway may provide growth advantage to the replicating virus.

• Klíčová slova
• ATM, ATR, DNA damage response pathway, HBV core protein, serine phosphorylation,
• MeSH
• aminokyselinové motivy MeSH
• ATM protein metabolismus   MeSH
• buňky Hep G2 MeSH
• checkpoint kinasa 2 metabolismus   MeSH
• cytoplazma metabolismus   virologie   MeSH
• etoposid farmakologie   MeSH
• fosforylace MeSH
• hepatitida B - antigeny e metabolismus   MeSH
• hepatocyty virologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• peroxid vodíku farmakologie   MeSH
• poškození DNA * MeSH
• proteiny virového jádra chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• replikace viru účinky léků   MeSH
• serin metabolismus   MeSH
• trans-aktivátory genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• virové regulační a přídatné proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• virus hepatitidy B účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• ATM protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• ATM protein MeSH
• checkpoint kinasa 2 MeSH
• CHEK2 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• etoposid MeSH
• hepatitida B - antigeny e MeSH
• hepatitis B virus X protein MeSH Prohlížeč
• peroxid vodíku MeSH
• proteiny virového jádra MeSH
• serin MeSH
• trans-aktivátory MeSH
• virové regulační a přídatné proteiny MeSH