Expression of hepatitis C virus envelope protein 2 induces apoptosis in cultured mammalian cells.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope protein 2 (E2) in the induction of apoptosis.


METHODS
A carboxyterminal truncated E2 (E2-661) was transiently expressed in several cultured mammalian cell lines or stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line. Cell proliferation was assessed by 3H thymidine uptake. Apoptosis was examined by Hoechst 33258 staining, flow cytometry and DNA fragmentation analysis.


RESULTS
Reduced proliferation was readily observed in the E2-661 expressing cells. These cells manifested the typical features of apoptosis, including cell shrinkage, chromatin condensation and hypodiploid genomic DNA content. Similar apoptotic cell death was observed in an E2-661 stably expressing cell line.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV E2 can induce apoptosis in cultured mammalian cells.
Zhu
Li-Xin
LX
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
Liu
Jing
J
Xie
You-Hua
YH
Kong
Yu-Ying
YY
Ye
Ye
Y
Wang
Chun-Lin
CL
Li
Guang-Di
GD
Wang
Yuan
Y
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016466:CHO Cells; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000378:metabolism*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins