title: Membrane association of hepatitis C virus nonstructural proteins and identification of the membrane alteration that harbors the viral replication complex.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicates its genome in a membrane-associated complex composed of viral proteins, replicating RNA, and altered cellular membranes. Determinants for membrane association of the HCV nonstructural proteins involved in genome replication have been defined. In addition, a specific membrane alteration, designated membranous web, was recently identified as the site of viral RNA synthesis and, therefore, represents the HCV replication complex. These findings add to our current understanding of the HCV life cycle and may ultimately allow to design novel antiviral strategies against hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine II, University of Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany. Darius_Moradpour@uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moradpour
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gosert
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Penin
authors.forename: Hubert E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bienz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000821:virology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000502:physiology*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C084422:NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases; C093542:NS4 protein, hepatitis C virus; C087036:NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase