title: Detection of the putative E2 protein of hepatitis C virus in human liver.
abstract: The question was asked whether a predicted envelope protein, considered to be processed from the polyprotein precursor encoded by the putative E2/NS1 region of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome, may be observed in HCV-infected humans. Two polyclonal antibodies against recombinant E2/NS1 proteins were prepared and their reactivity tested against liver extracts from HCV-infected patients by immunoblotting analysis. A band corresponding to a size of 44 kDa was detected in liver extracts from patients who were positive for the HCV-specific antibody anti-C100-3 but not in liver extracts from patients who did not have anti-C100-3 antibody. Additionally, no band was detected using preimmune sera or antisera which had been preabsorbed with recombinant E2/NS1 proteins. Deglycosylation studies demonstrated that the 44 kDa protein was a glycosylated form of a 38 kDa protein which corresponds to the predicted molecular weight of the putative E2/NS1 protein. These results suggest that the 44 kDa protein is a product of the E2/NS1 region. Frequent observation of the 44 kDa band in cases of chronic active hepatitis C suggests a correlation between the expression of this protein and the progression of hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unoura
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murakami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000737:chemistry*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins