WOODCHUCK VIRUS--MOLECULAR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES

土拨鼠肝炎病毒（WHV）是分类和血清学 与B型肝炎病毒（HBV）有关。 感染这些病毒 病毒与急性和慢性肝炎及肝细胞 癌在各自的宿主，这些协会似乎是 本质上是病因学的。 因此，土拨鼠的WHV感染提供了一种 相关和方便的模型，了解人类HBV感染。 已经进行了几方面的研究。 首先，我们发现， WHV X基因对变异非常敏感，是病毒复制所必需的。 在动物转染实验中的复制。 二、精细测绘 X转录启动子用于鉴定必需的核苷酸 在这个顺式作用元件中。 第三，我们已经扩大了我们以前的 双向启动子的鉴定实验 WHV。 第四，两个WHV分离株显示发展表面抗原血症 和肝肿瘤的发病率有显著差异（最后一项发现 对理解分子机制的重要意义 参与病毒复制和致癌潜力 嗜肝DNA病毒）。 第五，用于转染的体外细胞培养系统 WHV的开发。第六，衣壳蛋白在病毒中的作用 复制进行了研究。 第七，包膜蛋白的作用， 检测病毒复制。

The woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) is taxonomically and serologically related to the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Infection with each of these viruses is associated with acute and chronic hepatitis and hepatic cell carcinoma in their respective hosts and these associations appear to be etiological in nature. Thus, WHV infection of woodchucks provides a relevant and convenient model for understanding HBV infections of humans. Several lines of research have been pursued. First, we found that the WHV X gene is very sensitive to alterations and is essential for viral replication in animal transfection experiments. Second, fine mapping of the X transcript promoter was used to identify the essential nucleotides in this cis-acting element. Third, we have extended our previous experiments on the characterization of the bi-directional promoter of WHV. Fourth, two WHV isolates were shown to develop surface antigenemia and liver tumors at significantly different rates (this last finding has important implications for understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in viral replication and in the oncogenic potential of hepadnaviruses). Fifth, an in vitro cell culture system for transfection of WHV was developed. Sixth, the role of the capsid protein in viral replication was studied. Seventh, the role of the envelope proteins in viral replication was examined.