Hepatitis C virus core protein does not inhibit apoptosis in human hepatoma cells.
BACKGROUND
Viral persistence is a major problem after infection with the hepatitis C virus. Recently, it has been reported that hepatitis C virus core protein inhibits cis-platin induced apoptosis in human cervical carcinoma cells and apoptosis induced by overexpression of c-myc in Chinese hamster ovary cells.


METHODS
This study investigated whether different variants of hepatitis C virus core or E2 protein interfere with tumour necrosis factor alpha or Fas (CD95/ APO-1) antibody-induced programmed cell death in transiently transfected human hepatoma (HepG2) cells.


RESULTS
While neither full length or C-terminally truncated variants of hepatitis C virus core protein nor hepatitis C virus E2 protein inhibited tumour necrosis factor alpha- or Fas antibody-induced apoptosis, a strong inhibition was observed with the cowpox virus cytokine response modifier A protein.


CONCLUSIONS
Thus, it is unlikely that hepatitis C virus core or E2 protein inhibit apoptosis mediated by apoptosis-signalling pathways sensitive to cytokine response modifier A protein. Discrepancies to previous reports probably reflect specific effects of hepatitis C virus core protein on different apoptotic pathways and/ or cell lines.
Dumoulin
F L
FL
Department of Medicine I, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
vsn dem Bussche
A
A
Söhne
J
J
Sauerbruch
T
T
Spengler
U
U
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D016466:CHO Cells; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D006224:Cricetinae; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D016259:Genes, myc; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D019014:fas Receptor; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus; D003513:Cycloheximide