Figure 1

The influences of furin suppression on HBV replication. HepG2.2.15 cells were regularly cultivated and treated with and without furin inhibitors (20 μmol/L CMK and 100 μmol/L D6R unless marked particularly), or transfected with empty pIRES2-EGFP vector (pIRES2) or furin inhibitory prosegment-expressing recombinant vector (pfurin-PS). Intracellular core-associated HBV DNA was detected using Southern blot analysis. Relaxed circular (RC) HBV DNA was the HBV genome, and single-stranded linear (SS) HBV DNA was the replication intermediates. Virion-related HBV DNA in culture medium was quantified using real-time fluorescent PCR. HBeAg was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furin inhibitory prosegment was detected using Western blot analysis. A: CMK increased intracellular core-associated HBV DNA. B: CMK increased or unaffected the level of HBV virions in the media. *P <0.05. C: D6R and the expression of furin inhibitory prosegment inhibited HBeAg secretion. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01. D: D6R and the expression of furin inhibitory prosegment did not enhance HBV replication.