1141-HBV HBx Protein Subversion of Host Epigenetic Control

Paper Talk · Jun 17, 2026 · 22m

The paper outlines a structural study of the HBx protein, an essential regulatory component of the Hepatitis B virus linked to the development of liver cancer. Using NMR spectroscopy and AlphaFold predictions, researchers discovered that the HBx1–120 isoform is naturally disordered but folds locally when it hijacks human host proteins like Bcl-xL and Spindlin1. The study specifically identifies a rare inter-molecular zinc finger that allows HBx to bind tightly to Spindlin1, effectively blocking its ability to interact with methylated histone tails. By concealing these epigenetic docking…