Monitoring the antiviral effect of alpha interferon on individual cells.
An infectious hepatitis C virus (HCV) cDNA clone (JFH1) was generated recently. However, quantitative analysis of HCV infection and observation of infected cells have proved to be difficult because the yield of HCV in cell cultures is fairly low. We generated infectious HCV clones containing the convenient reporters green fluorescent protein (GFP) and Renilla luciferase in the NS5a-coding sequence. The new viruses responded to antiviral agents in a dose-dependent manner. Responses of individual cells containing HCV to alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) were monitored using GFP-tagged HCV and time-lapse confocal microscopy. Marked variations in the response to IFN-alpha were observed among HCV-containing cells.
Kim
Chon Saeng
CS
PBC, Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San31, Hyoja-Dong, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea.
Jung
Jong Ha
JH
Wakita
Takaji
T
Yoon
Seung Kew
SK
Jang
Sung Key
SK
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D049410:Luciferases, Renilla / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D053586:Virus Internalization / Q000187:drug effects
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D049410:Luciferases, Renilla