ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the regulatory role of host restriction factor Moloney leukemia virus 10 (MOV10) protein in HBV replication. Methods Firstly, a HBV replication-expression plasmid was transfected into Huh7 cells to investigate the effect of HBV replication on MOV10 expression. Secondly, HBV DNA was extracted and measured by quantitative PCR ( qPCR) after knocking down the expression of endogenous MOV10 or enhancing the expression of exogenous MOV10. Furthermore, MOV10 conserved do-mainⅡenzyme active mutants (D645A, E646Q and G648A) were constructed and analyzed regarding their antiviral activities. The HBV replication plasmid and MOV10 expression plasmid were co-transfected into hu-man renal epithelial cells (HEK293) to investigate whether MOV10 could bind to HBV mRNA using RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation ( RIP) . Results The expression of MOV10 was increased after trans-fection of HBV replication plasmid into Huh7 cells. After knocking down the expression of endogenous MOV10 by siRNA in Huh7 cells, HBV replication was increased about 1. 5 times compared with control group, while the viral DNA level was significantly decreased in Huh7 cells that overexpressed MOV10. MOV10 domain Ⅱ mutants also significantly inhibited HBV replication. MOV10 could bind to 3. 5 kb HBV RNA. Conclusion In liver cancer cells, the expression of the host restriction factor MOV10 was associated with HBV replication. Its inhibitory effect against HBV replication was independent of its helicase activity, but might be associated with its binding activity with 3. 5kb HBV RNA.