Work

The long noncoding RNA MAPKAPK5-AS1 promotes the formation of hepatitis B virus cccDNA by modulating the expression of NABP1

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Cellular long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to participate in diverse biological pathways, including the regulation of virus infections. However, their functions in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) life cycle still need to be explored. Here, we conducted a loss-of-function screen targeting 1779 human lncRNAs and identified 19 lncRNAs associated with HBV infection. One lncRNA, named MAPKAPK5-AS1 (lnc-MAAS), was identified as a host factor required for HBV infection. Our data suggest that lnc-MAAS is involved in the conversion of HBV relaxed circular DNA into covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). Furthermore, mechanistic experiments revealed that lnc-MAAS affects cccDNA formation by modulating the expression of nucleic acid binding protein 1 (NABP1). Together, our findings shed light on the roles of host lnc-MAAS and NABP1 in HBV cccDNA formation, which may contribute to the development of novel anti-HBV therapeutics.

Source: Virulence

DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2026.2745300

Authors: Xiaolu Zhang, Tingting Liu, Qiuyue Jiang, Zhijie Hu, Shan Cen, Quan Zhang

Institutions: Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College

Language: English

Topic: Hepatitis B Virus Studies

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,557