TY - JOUR
T1 - In silico analysis of mutations associated with occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in South Africa
AU - Olagbenro, Matthew
AU - Anderson, Motswedi
AU - Gaseitsiwe, Simani
AU - Powell, Eleanor A.
AU - Gededzha, Maemu P.
AU - Selabe, Selokela G.
AU - Blackard, Jason T.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2021/11
Y1 - 2021/11
N2 - Occult hepatitis B virus (OBI) infection is defined by the presence of viral DNA in the liver and/or serum in absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). While multiple studies have identified mutations that are associated with OBI, only a small portion of these mutations have been functionally characterized in vitro. Using complementary in silico approaches, the effects of OBI-associated amino acid mutations on HBV protein function in HBV/HIV-positive ART-naïve South Africans were evaluated. Two OBI-associated mutations in the PreS1 region, one in the PreS2 region, and seven in the surface region of subgenotype A1 sequences were identified as deleterious. In subgenotype A2 sequences, 11 OBI-associated mutations in the PreS1 region, seven in the PreS2 region, and 31 in the surface region were identified as deleterious. In the polymerase region, 14 OBI-associated mutations in subgenotype A1 and 71 OBI-associated mutations in subgenotype A2 were identified as deleterious. This study utilized in silico approaches to characterize the likely impact of OBI-associated mutations on viral function, thereby identifying and prioritizing candidates and reducing the significant cost associated with functional studies that are essential for mechanistic studies of the OBI phenotype.
AB - Occult hepatitis B virus (OBI) infection is defined by the presence of viral DNA in the liver and/or serum in absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). While multiple studies have identified mutations that are associated with OBI, only a small portion of these mutations have been functionally characterized in vitro. Using complementary in silico approaches, the effects of OBI-associated amino acid mutations on HBV protein function in HBV/HIV-positive ART-naïve South Africans were evaluated. Two OBI-associated mutations in the PreS1 region, one in the PreS2 region, and seven in the surface region of subgenotype A1 sequences were identified as deleterious. In subgenotype A2 sequences, 11 OBI-associated mutations in the PreS1 region, seven in the PreS2 region, and 31 in the surface region were identified as deleterious. In the polymerase region, 14 OBI-associated mutations in subgenotype A1 and 71 OBI-associated mutations in subgenotype A2 were identified as deleterious. This study utilized in silico approaches to characterize the likely impact of OBI-associated mutations on viral function, thereby identifying and prioritizing candidates and reducing the significant cost associated with functional studies that are essential for mechanistic studies of the OBI phenotype.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114049209&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00705-021-05196-7
DO - 10.1007/s00705-021-05196-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 34468889
AN - SCOPUS:85114049209
SN - 0304-8608
VL - 166
SP - 3075
EP - 3084
JO - Archives of Virology
JF - Archives of Virology
IS - 11
ER -