The analysis for the HCV propagation strategy from the infected cells to uninfected cells

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K16267
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 49060:Virology-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Infectious Diseases (2021-2022); Tokyo University of Science (2020)
• Principal Investigator: Ohashi Hirofumi 国立感染症研究所, 治療薬・ワクチン開発研究センター, 研究員 (40866761)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: HCV / Lipid droplets

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) uses cell-free and cell-to-cell transmission pathways to spread progeny viruses to uninfected cells. However, the control machinery for these transmission pathways is unclear. This study revealed that the production of lipid droplets in the infected cells is important for cell-to-cell pathway dependent viral transmission. Additionally, the laboratory HCV strain, Jc1-n, had a higher ability to release progeny viruses as compared to the clinically isolated strain, JFH-1. These data suggest that increased LD formation is important for cell-to-cell transmission and that the strategy of viral spread is also different between HCV strains.

Free Research Field

ウイルス学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

HCVの伝播において、cell-to-cell経路は中和抗体からの回避に重要と考えられているが、この経路に関わる宿主細胞機能は未解明であった。本研究により、HCVのcell-to-cell伝播には宿主細胞の脂肪滴産生が重要であることを明らかとした。本研究で得られた知見により、HCVの伝播機構に関する理解を深めることができた。また、cell-to-cell経路に関与する宿主機能の発見は、この経路を標的とした新たな抗ウイルス化合物探索につながると期待される。