Hepatitis C virus core protein promotes cell proliferation through the upregulation of cyclin E expression levels.
OBJECTIVE
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is known to play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Recent studies have suggested that the increased proliferation rate of hepatocytes is a major risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, we investigated whether the HCV core protein promotes the cell growth rate through the modulation of cyclin E expression levels.


RESULTS
HCV core stable transfectant Rat-1 cell lines showed a markedly increased proliferation rate compared to mock cells. Cyclin E expression and its associated kinase activities were remarkably increased in HCV core stable transfectants. Cyclin E mRNA levels were also upregulated in these cell lines.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that the HCV core protein promotes cell proliferation through upregulation of the cyclin E expression levels, implying this property of HCV core protein plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis.
Cho
J W
JW
Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Seonam University, Chunpook, Republic of Korea.
Baek
W K
WK
Suh
S I
SI
Yang
S H
SH
Chang
J
J
Sung
Y C
YC
Suh
M H
MH
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D042846:CDC2-CDC28 Kinases; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D019927:Cyclin E / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
D019927:Cyclin E; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D042846:CDC2-CDC28 Kinases; C495894:CDK2 protein, human; C495892:Cdk2 protein, rat; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases