Hepatitis C virus hypervariable region 1 modulates receptor interactions, conceals the CD81 binding site, and protects conserved neutralizing epitopes.

ABSTRACT: The variability of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which likely contributes to immune escape, is most pronounced in hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of viral envelope protein 2. This domain is the target for neutralizing antibodies, and its deletion attenuates replication in vivo. Here we characterized the relevance of HVR1 for virus replication in vitro using cell culture-derived HCV. We show that HVR1 is dispensable for RNA replication. However, viruses lacking HVR1 (Delta HVR1) are less infectious, and separation by density gradients revealed that the population of Delta HVR1 virions comprises fewer particles with low density. Strikingly, Delta HVR1 particles with intermediate density (1.12 g/ml) are as infectious as wild-type virions, while those with low density (1.02 to 1.08 g/ml) are poor

SUBMITTER: Bankwitz D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2876602 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature