In vivo transfection by hepatitis A virus synthetic RNA

Marmosets injected intrahepatically with nucleic acids (cDNA and RNA transcripts) representing the full-length genome of the wild-type HM-175 strain of hepatitis A virus experienced acute hepatitis and seroconversion to hepatitis A virus capsid proteins. The hepatitis was comparable in severity to that caused by infection with the wild-type virus. The viral cDNA and the hepatitis A virus recovered from the feces of an injected animal contained the same marker mutation. Therefore, intermediate cell culture steps can be omitted and the virulence of a hepatitis A virus encoded by a cDNA clone can be evaluated by direct transfection of marmosets.