N-terminal and C-terminal cytosine deaminase domain of APOBEC3G inhibit hepatitis B virus replication

Figure 5 The N-terminal or C-terminal cytosine deaminase domain of APOBEC3G inhibits HBV replication and gene expression in mice. (A) Serum HBsAg levels in the mice treated with APOBEC3G and its N-terminal and C-terminal cytosine deaminase domain expression vector. HBsAg levels (S/N, S: absorbance of the sample, N: absorbance of the negative control) in the sera of BALB/c mice were significantly reduced after treatment with APOBEC3G and its N-terminal and C-terminal cytosine deaminase domain expression plasmids (error bar indicates standard error) in the indicated time points. (B) Real-time PCR quantification of HBV DNA in the sera of mice treated with APOBEC3G and its N-terminal and C-terminal cytosine deaminase domain expression plasmid. BALB/c mice were co-injected with pHBV1.3 vector (10 μg) and the indicated expression plasmids (10 μg). HBV DNA levels of sera were determined by quantitative PCR (n = 6 per treatment group). (C) Real-time PCR quantification of core-associated HBV RNA in the liver of mice treated with APOBEC3G and its N-terminal or C-terminal cytosine deaminase domain expression plasmids. BALB/c mice were co-injected with pHBV1.3 vector (10 μg) and the N-terminal or C-terminal cytosine deaminase domain expression vector of APOBEC3G (10 μg) 3 d after injection, and the levels of the liver HBV RNA were determined by quantitative RT-PCR, normalized to GAPDH mRNA and reported as a ratio of HBV mRNA/GAPDH mRNA (± SD) (n = 6 per treatment group). NT: non-treated group; pXF3H: empty vector; pA3G: APOBEC3G expression plasmids; pNA3G: N-terminal cytosine deaminase domain of APOBEC3G expression plasmids; pCA3G: C-terminal cytosine deaminase domain of APOBEC3G expression plasmids; HBsAg: hepatitis B virus surface antigen.