Cooperation between the Hepatitis C Virus p7 and NS5B Proteins Enhances Virion Infectivity.

ABSTRACT:

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The molecular mechanisms that govern hepatitis C virus (HCV) assembly, release, and infectivity are still not yet fully understood. In the present study, we sequenced a genotype 2A strain of HCV (JFH-1) that had been cell culture adapted in Huh-7.5 cells to produce nearly 100-fold-higher viral titers than the parental strain. Sequence analysis identified nine mutations in the genome, present within both the structural and nonstructural genes. The infectious clone of this virus containing all nine culture-adapted mutations had 10-fold-higher levels of RNA replication and RNA release into the supernatant but had nearly 1,000-fold-higher viral titers, resulting in an increased specific infectivity compared to wild-type JFH-1. Two mutations, identified in the p7 polypeptide

SUBMITTER: Aligeti M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4645646 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature