AI Article Synopsis
- Hepatocytes are specialized liver cells with distinct intercellular junctions, and proteins like claudin-1 and occludin play roles in the entry of the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
- Current experimental setups lack cell cultures that mimic the polarized nature of hepatocytes, making it difficult to study HCV infection effectively.
- This study demonstrates that embedding Huh-7 cells in Matrigel allows them to develop hepatocyte-like features and supports HCV infection, enabling better research into the virus's life cycle.
Article Abstract
Hepatocytes are highly polarized cells where intercellular junctions, including tight junctions (TJs), determine the polarity. Recently, the TJ-associated proteins claudin-1 and occludin have been implicated in hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry and spread. Nevertheless, cell line-based experimental systems that exhibit hepatocyte-like polarity and permit robust infection and virion production are not currently available. Thus, we sought to determine whether cell line-based, Matrigel-embedded cultures could be used to study hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and virion production in a context of hepatocyte-like polarized cells. In contrast to standard bidimensional cultures, Matrigel-cultured Huh-7 cells adopted hepatocyte polarization features forming a continuous network of functional proto-bile canaliculi structures. These 3D cultures supported HCV infection by JFH-1 virus and produced infective viral particles which shifted towards lower densities with higher associated specific infectivity. In conclusion, our findings describe a novel use of Matrigel to study the entire HCV cycle in a more relevant context.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2011.12.021 | DOI Listing |
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