Specialization of Hepatitis C Virus Envelope Glycoproteins for B Lymphocytes in Chronically Infected Patients.

ABSTRACT:

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) productively infects hepatocytes. Virion surface glycoproteins E1 and E2 play a major role in this restricted cell tropism by mediating virus entry into particular cell types. However, several pieces of evidence have suggested the ability of patient-derived HCV particles to infect peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The viral determinants and mechanisms mediating such events remain poorly understood. Here, we aimed at isolating viral determinants of HCV entry into B lymphocytes. For this purpose, we constructed a library of full E1E2 sequences isolated from serum and B lymphocytes of four chronically infected patients. We observed a strong phylogenetic compartmentalization of E1E2 sequences isolated from B lymphocytes in one patient, indicating th

SUBMITTER: Douam F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4702674 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature