Ping Chen

Dr. Ping Chen


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

11Years (2016-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
13 May 2016 in Scientific Reports
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
XGXiaoyan Guo
Xiaoyan Guo
PCPing Chen
Ping Chen
XHXiaohu Hou
Xiaohu Hou
WXWenjuan Xu
Wenjuan Xu
DWDan Wang
Dan Wang
ZCZhi-Ying Chen
Zhi-Ying Chen
HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is drug-resistant and responsible for viral persistence. To facilitate the development of anti-cccDNA drugs, we developed a minicircle DNA vector (MC)-based technology to produce large quantity of recombined cccDNA (rcccDNA) resembling closely to its wild-type counterpart both in structure and function. The rcccDNA differed to the wild-type cccDNA (wtcccDNA) only in that it carried an extra 36-bp DNA recombinant product attR upstream of the preC/C gene. Using a procedure similar to standard plasmid production, milligrams of rcccDNA can be generated in common laboratories conveniently. The rcccDNA demonstrated many essential biological features of wtcccDNA, including: (1) undergoing nucleation upon nucleus entry; (2) serving as template for production of all HBV RNAs and proteins; (3) deriving virions capable of infecting tree shrew, and subsequently producing viral mRNAs, proteins, rcccDNA and infectious virions. As an example to develop anti-cccDNA drugs, we used the Crispr/Cas9 system to provide clear-cut evidence that rcccDNA was cleaved by this DNA editing tool in vitro. In summary, we have developed a convenient technology to produce large quantity of rcccDNA as a surrogate of wtcccDNA for investigating HBV biology and developing treatment to eradicate this most wide-spreading virus.