title: Characterization of HCV quasispecies in the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) by in vitro translation and mass spectrometry.
abstract: HCV infection provides a classic example of the phenomenon of quasispecies. Because several lines of investigation support the contribution of quasispecies to HCV's capacity to maintain a persistent infection, adequate characterization of the quasispecies is important. The hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of the E2 glycoprotein has been particularly well studied in this regard. We present here a rapid method for characterizing the HVR1 quasispecies, based on in vitro coupled transcription/translation of the amplicons, followed by mass spectrometry of the resulting peptide mix.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yea
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayers
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tellier
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D008280:Magnetics; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011817:Rabbits; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: C400562:HVR1 protein, Hepatitis C virus; D010455:Peptides; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C091015:glycoprotein E2, Hepatitis C virus