Heat-shock protein 90 is essential for stabilization of the hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein NS3.
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease. Here, we report a new and effective strategy for inhibiting HCV replication using 17-allylaminogeldanamycin (17-AAG), an inhibitor of heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90). Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone with a key role in stabilizing the conformation of many oncogenic signaling proteins. We examined the inhibitory effects of 17-AAG on HCV replication in an HCV replicon cell culture system. In HCV replicon cells treated with 17-AAG, we found that HCV RNA replication was suppressed in a dose-dependent manner, and interestingly, the only HCV protein degraded in these cells was NS3 (nonstructural protein 3). Immunoprecipitation experiments showed that NS3 directly interacted with Hsp90, as did proteins expressed from DeltaNS3 protease expression vectors. These results suggest that the suppression of HCV RNA replication is due to the destabilization of NS3 in disruption of the Hsp90 chaperone complex by 17-AAG.
Ujino
Saneyuki
S
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, High Technology Research Center, Research Institute, Chiba Institute of Technology, 2-17-1 Tsudanuma, Narashino, Chiba 275-0016, Japan.
Yamaguchi
Saori
S
Shimotohno
Kunitada
K
Takaku
Hiroshi
H
D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D004795:Enzyme Stability / Q000187:drug effects; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D047029:Lactams, Macrocyclic / Q000494:pharmacology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012093:Replicon / Q000502:physiology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
D016227:Benzoquinones; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D047029:Lactams, Macrocyclic; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C084422:NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases; C112765:tanespimycin