Effect of the ADAR1 signalling pathway on HCV replication

Abstract

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a member of the Flaviviridae family whose genome consists of a +RNAmolecule. Although new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are highly effective in treating hepatitis C, tens ofmillions of people worldwide remain infected. A preventive vaccine against HCV has not yet beendeveloped. In this report, we focus on the relationship between HCV and the double-stranded RNAediting enzyme adenosine deaminase 1 (ADAR1). As part of innate immunity, ADAR1 catalyses theconversion of adenosine to inosine, affecting both the stability of the edited dsRNA helix and theinformation encoded in the primary sequence of nucleotides. To assess the effect of ADAR1 on HCVreplication, we prepared an ADAR1 knock-out cell line derived from Huh7.5 hepatocellular carcinomacells. Results of pilot experiments with HCV replication in the Huh7.5 ADAR1 KO cell line will bepresented.