Hepatitis B virus X protein–elevated MSL2 modulates hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA by inducing degradation of APOBEC3B to enhance hepatocarcinogenesis

Abstract

HBx-elevated MSL2 modulates HBV cccDNA in hepatoma cells to promote hepatocarcinogenesis, forming a positive feedback loop of HBx/MSL2/cccDNA/HBV. Our finding uncovers insights into the mechanism by which MSL2 as a promotion factor in host cells selectively activates extrachromosomal DNA. (Hepatology 2017;66:1413-1429).