TGF-β1-mediated reduction of HBV transcripts depends on AID and Exosc3.

<p>Stable HBV transfectant Huh7 cells (7T7-8) were infected with recombinant lentiviruses to express indicated short hairpin (sh) RNA, and then cells were incubated in the presence or absence of 15 ng/ml TGF-β1 for 3 days. (A) Schematic diagram of experimental design; (B) AID expression levels in qRT-PCR and (C) IP western blotting. Crude extract before IP was also blotted (input). Crude extracts from TGF-β1-treated 7T7-8 transfectants were immunoprecipitated by anti-AID antibody. Loading control: anti-(adenosine deaminase acting on RNA) ADAR. (D) Exosc3 expression level in qRT-PCR or western blotting (E); shLuc was used as a control; (F) Reductions of HBV transcript levels following TGF-β1 treatment are compared between shAID-, shExosc3-, and shLuc-expressing 7T7-8 cells. HBV transcript levels of each non-stimulated transfectant are defined as 1; shLuc was used as a non-targeted control. *<i>P</i> < 0.05, **<i>P</i> < 0.01 (<i>t</i>-test), error bars represent standard errors of the mean. Data are representative of two to three independent experiments.