Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a naturally occurring peptide secreted by the L cells of the small intestine. GLP-1 functions as an incretin and stimulates glucose-mediated insulin production by pancreatic β cells. In this study, we demonstrate that exendin-4/GLP-1 has a cognate receptor on human hepatocytes and that exendin-4 has a direct effect on the reduction of hepatic steatosis in the absence of insulin. Both glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP/R) messenger RNA and protein were detected on primary human hepatocytes, and receptor was internalized in the presence of GLP-1. Exendin-4 increased the phosphorylation of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK-1), AKT, and protein kinase C ζ (PKC-ζ) in HepG2 and Huh7 cells. Small interfering RNA against GLP-1R abolished the effects on PDK-1 and PKC-ζ. Treatment with exendin-4 quantitatively reduced triglyceride stores compared with control-treated cells. Conclusion: This is the first report that the G protein–coupled receptor GLP-1R is present on human hepatocytes. Furthermore, it appears that exendin-4 has the same beneficial effects in vitro as those seen in our previously published in vivo study in ob/ob mice, directly reducing hepatocyte steatosis. Future use for human nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, either in combination with dietary manipulation or other pharmacotherapy, may be a significant advance in treatment of this common form of liver disease. (Hepatology 2010)

The majority of people infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) fail to generate or maintain a T-cell response effective for viral clearance. Evidence from murine chronic viral infections shows that expression of the coinhibitory molecule PD-1 predicts CD8 ⁺ antiviral T-cell exhaustion and may contribute to inadequate pathogen control. To investigate whether human CD8 ⁺ T cells express PD-1 and demonstrate a dysfunctional phenotype during chronic HCV infection, peripheral and intrahepatic HCV-specific CD8 ⁺ T cells were examined. We found that in chronic HCV infection, peripheral HCV-specific T cells express high levels of PD-1 and that blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction led to an enhanced proliferative capacity. Importantly, intrahepatic HCV-specific T cells, in contrast to those in the periphery, express not only high levels of PD-1 but also decreased interleukin-7 receptor alpha (CD127), an exhausted phenotype that was HCV antigen specific and compartmentalized to the liver, the site of viral replication.

The crystal structure of the core domain of the hepatitis C virus surface glycoprotein E2 has been solved; the structure shows that, contrary to expectation, E2 is unlikely to be the viral fusion protein. There is currently no vaccine against hepatitis C virus, so it is important to learn more about the processes by which the virus establishes infection. Joseph Marcotrigiano and colleagues solve the crystal structure of the core domain of the hepatitis C virus surface glycoprotein E2. The structure shows that, contrary to expectation, E2 is unlikely to be the viral fusion protein. This work helps to clarify the role of E2 and the mechanism of hepatitis C virus entry. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant public health concern with approximately 160 million people infected worldwide1. HCV infection often results in chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. No vaccine is available and current therapies are effective against some, but not all, genotypes. HCV is an enveloped virus with two surface glycoproteins (E1 and E2). E2 binds to the host cell through interactions with scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) and CD81, and serves as a target for neutralizing antibodies2,3,4. Little is known about the molecular mechanism that mediates cell entry and membrane fusion, although E2 is predicted to be a class II viral fusion protein. Here we describe the structure of the E2 core domain in complex with an antigen-binding fragment (Fab) at 2.4 Å resolution. The E2 core has a compact, globular domain structure, consisting mostly of β-strands and random coil with two small α-helices. The strands are arranged in two, perpendicular sheets (A and B), which are held together by an extensive hydrophobic core and disulphide bonds. Sheet A has an IgG-like fold that is commonly found in viral and cellular proteins, whereas sheet B represents a novel fold. Solution-based studies demonstrate that the full-length E2 ectodomain has a similar globular architecture and does not undergo significant conformational or oligomeric rearrangements on exposure to low pH. Thus, the IgG-like fold is the only feature that E2 shares with class II membrane fusion proteins. These results provide unprecedented insights into HCV entry and will assist in developing an HCV vaccine and new inhibitors.

Significance: The clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats associated endonuclease, Cas9, has quickly become a revolutionary tool in genome engineering. Utilizing small guiding RNAs, Cas9 can be targeted to specific DNA sequences of interest, where it catalyzes DNA cleavage. We now demonstrate that Cas9 from the Gram-negative bacterium Francisella novicida (FnCas9) can be reprogrammed to target a specific RNA substrate, the genome of the +ssRNA virus, hepatitis C virus, in eukaryotic cells. Further, this targeting results in inhibition of viral protein production. Overall, programmable Cas9-mediated viral RNA targeting likely represents one of myriad potential applications of FnCas9 in RNA targeting in eukaryotic cells.

The liver has long been described as immunosuppressive, although the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are incompletely understood. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), a population of liver nonparenchymal cells, are potent producers of the regulatory T cell (Treg)–polarizing molecules TGF-β1 and all-trans retinoic acid, particularly during states of inflammation. HSCs are activated during hepatitis C virus infection and may therefore play a role in the enrichment of Tregs during infection. We hypothesized that Ag presentation in the context of HSC activation will induce naive T cells to differentiate into Foxp3+ Tregs. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the molecular interactions between murine HSCs, dendritic cells, and naive CD4+ T cells. We found that HSCs alone do not present Ag to naive CD4+ T cells, but in the presence of dendritic cells and TGF-β1, preferentially induce functional Tregs. This Treg induction was associated with retinoid metabolism by HSCs and was dependent on all-trans retinoic acid. Thus, we conclude that HSCs preferentially generate Foxp3+ Tregs and, therefore, may play a role in the tolerogenic nature of the liver.