Functional Analysis of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Envelope Protein E1 Using a trans-Complementation System Reveals a Dual Role of a Putative Fusion Peptide of E1 in both HCV Entry and Morphogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an enveloped RNA virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family. It infects mainly human hepatocytes and causes chronic liver diseases, including cirrhosis and cancer. HCV encodes two envelope proteins, E1 and E2, that form a heterodimer and mediate virus entry. While E2 has been extensively studied, less has been done so for E1, and its role in the HCV life cycle still needs to be elucidated. Here we developed a new cell culture model for HCV infection based on the trans-complementation of E1. Virus production of the HCV genome lacking the E1-encoding sequence can be efficiently rescued by the ectopic expression of E1 in trans The resulting virus, designated HCVΔE1, can propagate in packaging cells expressing E1 but results in only single-cycle infection in naive ce

SUBMITTER: Tong Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5355622 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature