Identification of cellular protein interacting with HBV genome by protein mass spectrometry

: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major public health threat with more than 296 million people chronically infected worldwide at high risk to develop hepatocellular carcinoma. Current therapies are effective in suppressing HBV replication but rarely lead to cure. The fundamental limitation rests on the fact that current therapies do not affect the HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which serves as the template for viral transcription and replication and is highly stable in infected cells to ensure viral persistence. In this study, we aim to identify and elucidate the functional role of cccDNA-associated host factors using affinity purification and protein mass spectrometry in HBV-infected cells. HBV core protein (HBc) is associated with cccDNA. We used an anti-HBc antibody to pull down HBcAg-associated cccDNA complex in nuclear extract of HBV-infected HepG2-NTCP cells. By protein mass spectrometry, we identified many host proteins, including previously known proteins, that are associated with HBV cccDNA. Some of these proteins were functionally validated to play a role in HBV cccDNA activities.