Cellular Organelles Involved in Hepatitis E Virus Infection

Abstract

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), a major cause of acute hepatitis worldwide, infects approximately 20 million individuals annually. HEV can infect a wide range of mammalian and avian species, and cause frequent zoonotic spillover, increasingly raising public health concerns. To establish a successful infection, HEV needs to usurp host machineries to accomplish its life cycle from initial attachment to egress. However, relatively little is known about the HEV life cycle, especially the functional role(s) of cellular organelles and their associated proteins at different stages of HEV infection. Here, we summarize current knowledge regarding the relation of HEV with the different cell organelles during HEV infection. Furthermore, we discuss the underlying mechanisms by which HEV infection is precisely regulated in infected cells and the modification of host cell organelles and their associated proteins upon HEV infection.

Updates on hepatitis E virus

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Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of hepatitis E. Globally, it is estimated that 20 million HEV infections with 3.3 million symptomatic cases occur annually, and the mortality rate is 0.5% to 3% in general population.Although hepatitis E is commonly considered as an acute, self-limited disease, HEV infection can be chronic in immunocompromised patients and related with high mortality rate and poor pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women. [1] Characteristics of HEV: HEV is a single-stranded, positive sense RNA virus with genomic length ranging from 6.6 to 7.2 kb with three open reading frames (ORFs): ORF1 encodes non-structural protein associated with HEV RNA replication; ORF2 encodes the capsid protein and a secreted form of ORF2 protein [2] ; and ORF3 encodes a small protein related with the release of HEV. [3] The virus particle is icosahedral and has a diameter of 27 to 32 nm.

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“…Characteristics of HEV: HEV is a single-stranded, positive sense RNA virus with genomic length ranging from 6.6 to 7.2 kb with three open reading frames (ORFs): ORF1 encodes non-structural protein associated with HEV RNA replication; ORF2 encodes the capsid protein and a secreted form of ORF2 protein [ 2 ] ; and ORF3 encodes a small protein related with the release of HEV. [ 3 ] The virus particle is icosahedral and has a diameter of 27 to 32 nm.…”

“…HEV is non-enveloped in feces and bile but contains a lipid envelope in blood and cell culture supernatant, and hence HEV is declared to be a quasi-enveloped virus. [ 2 ] Robust cell culture system for HEV is still lacking, and suitable animal models for HEV include non-human primates, swine, rabbits, and human liver chimeric mice. Given the small size and zoonotic potential for rabbit HEV, rabbits could be an important model in HEV studies.…”

“…The virus particle is icosahedral and has a diameter of 27 to 32 nm. HEV is non-enveloped in feces and bile but contains a lipid envelope in blood and cell culture supernatant, and hence HEV is declared to be a quasi-enveloped virus [2] . Robust cell culture system for HEV is still lacking, and suitable animal models for HEV include non-human primates, swine, rabbits, and human liver chimeric mice.…”