Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Viruses with RNA Genomes

Viruses with RNA Genomes

RNA viruses are categorized into positive-strand, negative-strand, or double-stranded groups based on their genomic structure and replication mechanisms. This classification dictates how they exploit host cellular machinery for protein synthesis and replication. Some RNA viruses also utilize reverse transcription as part of their life cycle, further diversifying their replication strategies.Positive-Strand RNA VirusesPositive-strand RNA viruses have genomes that function directly as messenger...

Hepatitis

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver most commonly caused by hepatotropic viruses (A–E), though non-infectious causes such as alcohol and drugs also exist.Hepatitis AHepatitis A virus (HAV) is a non-enveloped RNA virus of the Picornaviridae family. It is primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically through ingestion of contaminated food or water. After ingestion, HAV enters the bloodstream through the oropharynx or intestinal epithelium and reaches the liver. The...

Inhibitors Of Virion Release

Inhibitors Of Virion Release

Viral replication and dissemination rely on efficient mechanisms for host cell entry, genome replication, assembly, and release. Influenza viruses, such as types A and B, are negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses with a segmented genome, that depend on two critical surface glycoproteins to carry out these processes: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). HA initiates infection by binding to sialic acid residues on the surface of host epithelial cells, facilitating receptor-mediated...

Subviral Agents

Subviral Agents

Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...

Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors

Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors

Antiviral Nucleoside InhibitorsAntiviral nucleoside inhibitors are structural analogs of natural nucleosides that interfere with viral DNA or RNA synthesis. These compounds selectively target viral polymerases due to their resemblance to host nucleosides, thereby disrupting viral genome replication.Mechanism of Acyclovir ActionAcyclovir is a guanosine analog with a three-carbon acyclic side chain. It selectively targets herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2),...

Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly

Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly

As part of their replication cycle, certain viruses synthesize long precursor proteins called polyproteins within infected host cells. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), two major polyproteins are produced: Gag and Gag-Pol. The Gag polyprotein supplies the structural components of the virus, while Gag-Pol includes essential viral enzymes such as reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease. After synthesis, these polyproteins move to the host cell membrane, where they assemble into an...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Changes in Bacterial Communities and Metabolites Reveal the Effects of Starter Feeding on Growth Performance and Gut Development in Yak Calves.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026

Same author

Oxygen Electronic Configuration Modulation Triggering Reversible Anionic Redox Chemistry toward High Voltage Tolerant Sodium Layered Oxide.

Nano letters·2026

Same author

Targeted Etching Strategy to Expand Low-Voltage Plateau of Pitch-Based Hard Carbon for Sodium Storage.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same author

Synergistic adaptation of rice root phosphorus uptake kinetics and leaf carbon-nitrogen metabolism under low-phosphorus conditions.

Frontiers in plant science·2026

Same author

Yeast culture promotes butyrate produced fibrolytic bacteria as intracellular hydrogen sink in the rumen.

Microbiome·2026

Same author

<i>In Silico</i> Studies of the Hepatitis B Virus Polymerase: Efforts to Identify Novel Drug Binding Sites to Inhibit HBV Replication.

Missouri medicine·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle

Published on: February 1, 2017

The duck hepatitis B virus reverse transcriptase functions as a full-length monomer.

Zhian Zhang¹, John E Tavis

¹Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63104, USA.

The Journal of Biological Chemistry

|September 29, 2006

Summary

Duck hepatitis B virus reverse transcriptase functions as a monomer. This single polymerase monomer primes and synthesizes viral DNA within capsid particles, offering potential antiviral targets.

More Related Videos

Detection of Low Copy Number Integrated Viral DNA Formed by In Vitro Hepatitis B Infection

Detection of Low Copy Number Integrated Viral DNA Formed by In Vitro Hepatitis B Infection

Published on: November 7, 2018

Surface Functionalization of Hepatitis E Virus Nanoparticles Using Chemical Conjugation Methods

Surface Functionalization of Hepatitis E Virus Nanoparticles Using Chemical Conjugation Methods

Published on: May 11, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle

Published on: February 1, 2017

Detection of Low Copy Number Integrated Viral DNA Formed by In Vitro Hepatitis B Infection

Detection of Low Copy Number Integrated Viral DNA Formed by In Vitro Hepatitis B Infection

Published on: November 7, 2018

Surface Functionalization of Hepatitis E Virus Nanoparticles Using Chemical Conjugation Methods

Surface Functionalization of Hepatitis E Virus Nanoparticles Using Chemical Conjugation Methods

Published on: May 11, 2018

Area of Science:

Virology
Molecular Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Hepadnaviral reverse transcription is crucial for viral replication.
The viral polymerase's structure and function during reverse transcription remain unclear.
Understanding the polymerase is key to developing antiviral therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine the primary structure and multimeric state of the duck hepatitis B virus polymerase during reverse transcription.
To investigate the polymerase's mechanism of action within viral particles.

Main Methods:

In vitro translation and immunoprecipitation of viral polymerase.
Enzymatic activity and complementation assays with mutant polymerases.
Western blot analysis and nuclease digestion of virion-associated polymerase and DNA.

Main Results:

The duck hepatitis B virus polymerase functions as a monomer.
Full-length polymerase molecules are covalently attached to viral DNA within virions.
The polymerase primes DNA synthesis and performs all subsequent steps as a monomer covalently linked to the DNA product.

Conclusions:

A single polymerase monomer is responsible for encapsidation, DNA priming, and synthesis of both DNA strands.
The polymerase undergoes structural changes during reverse transcription, presenting a potential target for antiviral drugs.
Non-nucleoside inhibitors targeting these dynamic changes could be novel antiviral agents.