Characterization of the envelope glycoproteins associated with infectious hepatitis C virus.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis C is caused by an enveloped virus whose entry is mediated by two glycoproteins, namely, E1 and E2, which have been shown to assemble as a noncovalent heterodimer. Despite extensive research in the field of such an important human pathogen, hepatitis C virus (HCV) glycoproteins have only been studied so far in heterologous expression systems, and their organization at the surfaces of infectious virions has not yet been described. Here, we characterized the envelope glycoproteins associated with cell-cultured infectious virions and compared them with their prebudding counterparts. Viral particles were analyzed by ultracentrifugation, and the envelope glycoproteins were characterized by coimmunoprecipitation and receptor pulldown assays. Furthermore, their oligomeric state was deter

SUBMITTER: Vieyres G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2937754 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature