title: NS3 protease of genotype 3 subtype h HCV identified in southeastern France.
abstract: HCV displays considerable levels of nucleotide and amino acid diversity. Recently, the relevance of natural polymorphisms in worldwide isolates has been addressed in view of future protease inhibitor (PI)-based treatments; genotype- and subtype-specific natural polymorphisms within HCV NS3 protease were identified at amino acid sites associated either with resistance to PIs or with compensatory mutations. Here, we describe a case of chronic infection with HCV of genotype 3 subtype h (HCV-3h), formerly only described from three patients originating from Somalia, and we provide the first NS3 protease sequence for such strains. NS3 protease sequences of HCV-3h recovered in the present study harbour specific amino acid residues not encountered in other reference HCV genotypes and subtypes at nine of the 181 NS3 protease positions; none of these amino acids are known to confer resistance to PIs. Of note, 5' untranslated region sequence-based genotyping classifies them into genotype 1.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colson
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gayet
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerolami
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005602:France; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
chemical_list: D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C084422:NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases