title: Expression of hepatitis C virus proteins does not interfere with major histocompatibility complex class I processing and presentation in vitro.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection takes a chronic course in the majority of patients. The mechanisms underlying the evasion of the host immune response and viral persistence are poorly understood. In this context, we investigated interactions of HCV proteins with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I processing and presentation pathways using cell lines that allow the tetracycline-regulated expression of viral structural and nonstructural proteins. These well-characterized inducible cell lines were found to efficiently process and present endogenously synthesized HCV proteins via MHC class I. Functional MHC class I cell-surface expression and intracellular proteasome activity were not affected by the expression of HCV proteins. These results suggest that viral evasion of the host immune response does not involve interactions of HCV with MHC class I processing and presentation. Other mechanisms, such as interference with the interferon system, may be operative in HCV infection, leading to viral persistence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine II, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moradpour
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grabscheid
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kammer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmidtke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Groettrup
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerny
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000145:classification; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000378:metabolism*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000502:physiology; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000502:physiology; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D014764:Viral Proteins; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex