title: Cellular vimentin content regulates the protein level of hepatitis C virus core protein and the hepatitis C virus production in cultured cells.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is essential for virus particle formation. Using HCV core-expressing and non-expressing Huh7 cell lines, Uc39-6 and Uc321, respectively, we performed comparative proteomic studies of proteins in the 0.5% Triton X-100-insoluble fractions of cells, and found that core-expressing Uc39-6 cells had much lower vimentin content than Uc321 cells. In experiments using vimentin-overexpressing and vimentin-knocked-down cells, we demonstrated that core protein levels were affected by cellular vimentin content. When vimentin expression was knocked-down, there was no difference in mRNA level of core protein; but proteasome-dependent degradation of the core protein was strongly reduced. These findings suggest that the turnover rate of core protein is regulated by cellular vimentin content. HCV production was also affected by cellular vimentin content. Our findings together suggest that modulation of hepatic vimentin expression might enable the control of HCV production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nitahara-Kasahara
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukasawa
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shinkai-Ouchi
authors.forename: Shigeko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Takaji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakita
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanada
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyamura
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishijima
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D020868:Gene Silencing; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D020543:Proteome; D014746:Vimentin; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus