HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplementary table Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Haqshenas, G. Articles by Gowans, E. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Haqshenas, G. Articles by Gowans, E. J. Agricola Articles by Haqshenas, G. Articles by Gowans, E. J.

A chimeric GB virus B encoding the hepatitis C virus hypervariable region 1 is infectious in vivo

G. Haqshenas^1,

X. Dong^1,2,

¹ The Macfarlane Burnet Institute, GPO Box 2284, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
² Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
³ Department of Medicine (RMH/WH), University of Melbourne, Centre for Clinical Research Excellence, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia

Correspondence
G. Haqshenas
haqshenas{at}burnet.edu.au

Two GB virus B (GBV-B) chimeric genomes, GBV-HVR and GBV-HVRh (with a hinge), containing the coding region of the immunodominant hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of the E2 envelope protein of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) were constructed. Immunoblot analysis confirmed that HVR1 was anchored to the GBV-B E2 protein. To investigate the replication competence and in vivo stability of in vitro-generated chimeric RNA transcripts, two naïve marmosets were inoculated intrahepatically with the transcripts. The GBV-HVR chimeric genome was detectable for 2 weeks post-inoculation (p.i.), whereas GBV-HVRh reverted to wild type 1 week p.i. Sequencing analysis of the HVR1 and flanking regions from GBV-HVR RNA isolated from marmoset serum demonstrated that the HVR1 insert remained unaltered in the GBV-HVR chimera for 2 weeks. Inoculation of a naïve marmoset with serum collected at 1 week p.i. also resulted in viraemia and confirmed that the serum contained infectious particles. All animals cleared the infection by 3 weeks p.i. and remained negative for the remaining weeks. The chimera may prove useful for the in vivo examination of any HCV HVR1-based vaccine candidates.

A supplementary table showing oligonucleotide primers designed and used in this study is available in JGV Online.

These authors contributed equally to this work.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. J. Woollard, G. Haqshenas, X. Dong, B. F. Pratt, S. J. Kent, and E. J. Gowans Virus-Specific T-Cell Immunity Correlates with Control of GB Virus B Infection in Marmosets J. Virol., March 15, 2008; 82(6): 3054 - 3060. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]