title: Trans-encapsidation of hepatitis C virus subgenomic replicon RNA with viral structure proteins.
abstract: A trans-packaging system for hepatitis C virus (HCV) subgenomic replicon RNAs was developed. HCV subgenomic replicon was efficiently encapsidated by the HCV structural proteins that were stably expressed in trans under the control of a mammalian promoter. Infectious HCV-like particles (HCV-LPs), established a single-round infection, were produced and released into culture medium in titers of up to 10(3) focus forming units/ml. Expression of NS2 protein with structural proteins (core, E1, E2, and p7) was shown to be critical for the infectivity of HCV-LPs. Anti-CD81 treatment decreased the number of infected cells, suggesting that HCV-LPs infected cells in a CD81-dependent manner. The packaging cell line should be useful both for the production of single-round infectious HCV-LPs to elucidate the mechanisms of HCV assembly, particle formation and infection to host cells, and for the development of HCV replicon-based vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan. kishii@nih.go.jp
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Su Su
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hmwe
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shirakura
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morikawa
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyamura
authors.forename: Takaji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakita
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line / Q000821:virology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016679:Genome, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D012093:Replicon; D060225:Tetraspanin 28; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D019065:Virus Assembly; D014776:Virus Cultivation; D053586:Virus Internalization
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D015703:Antigens, CD; C554798:CD81 protein, human; C097010:NS2 protein, Hepatitis C virus; D012367:RNA, Viral; D060225:Tetraspanin 28; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins