FIG 2.

AB-423 inhibits pgRNA encapsidation in HepDES19 cells. HepDES19 cells were treated with AB-423 (3 μM), the vehicle control (DMSO), GLS-4 (a member of the HAP class of capsid inhibitors), or 3TC (a nucleoside inhibitor) for 6 days, and various viral replication intermediates were extracted and visualized by HBV RNA analysis and particle gel assays, which were performed as described in Materials and Methods. Intracellular viral RNA (A) and encapsidated pgRNA (E) were extracted and detected by Northern blotting hybridization with an HBV-specific ³²P-labeled riboprobe. (B) rRNAs (18S and 28S) served as loading controls. (C) Intracellular HBV core protein was detected by Western blotting (WB) using specific antibodies. (D) The total amounts of nucleocapsids were determined by a particle gel assay. (F) HBV DNA replication intermediates (rcDNA and ssDNA) were extracted and detected by Southern blotting hybridizations.