Molecular Network Analysis of HBV Persistent Infection from the Perspective of Whole Transcriptome

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Virology
• Immunology
• Genomics

Background:

• Chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection involves complex interactions between viral and host RNA.
• A comprehensive understanding of mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA networks is lacking.
• This knowledge gap hinders explaining immune escape and metabolic reprogramming in persistent HBV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a comprehensive RNA regulatory network map in a chronic HBV mouse model.
• To investigate the impact of HBV on host immune-metabolic pathways using a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network.
• To identify key regulatory factors involved in HBV pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Established a mouse model of chronic HBV infection.
• Performed whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS) to analyze differential expression of mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA.
• Constructed lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA networks.

Main Results:

• HBV infection significantly altered the expression of numerous mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs.
• Differentially expressed genes were enriched in metabolism, immunity/inflammation, and signal transduction pathways.
• The ceRNA network analysis identified miR-185-3p as a crucial core regulatory node.

Conclusions:

• Whole transcriptome data revealed distinct gene expression profiles in chronic HBV infection.
• miR-185-3p was identified as a key regulatory factor for differentially expressed genes in HBV.
• miR-185-3p presents a potential therapeutic target for precise treatment of chronic hepatitis B.