Grp78/Bip facilitates the attachment/entry of the hepatitis E virus capsid protein to host cells

Objective To further investigate the interaction between recombinant hepatitis E virus (HEV) capsid protein p239 and Grp78/Bip and the role of Grp78/Bip in HEV penetration.Methods We utilized pull-down, immunoprecipitation and antibody blocking assays to examine the interaction between p239 and Grp78/Bip. Confocal microscopy was used to investigate the co-localization of these two proteins. Purified Grp78/Bip was used to block the attachment of p239 to host cells.Results p239 directly bound to Grp78/Bip and this binding was sensitive to ATP. Furthermore, antibody blocking results demonstrate that this interaction was indeed conformation-dependent. A partial co-localization of p239 and Grp/Bip was observed on the plasma membrane of HepG2 by confocal microscopy. Pre-incubation of Grp78/Bip with p239 significantly blocked the attachment of p239 to HepG2 cells.Conclusion Grp78/Bip participates in the attachment and/or entry of the HEV capsid protein to host cells. These results further contribute to the understanding of the entry mechanism of the hepatitis E virus after infection.