title: cis-Acting RNA elements in the hepatitis C virus RNA genome.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a rapidly increasing global health problem with an estimated 170 million people infected worldwide. HCV is a hepatotropic, positive-sense RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae. As a positive-sense RNA virus, the HCV genome itself must serve as a template for translation, replication and packaging. The viral RNA must therefore be a dynamic structure that is able to readily accommodate structural changes to expose different regions of the genome to viral and cellular proteins to carry out the HCV life cycle. The ∼ 9600 nucleotide viral genome contains a single long open reading frame flanked by 5' and 3' non-coding regions that contain cis-acting RNA elements important for viral translation, replication and stability. Additional cis-acting RNA elements have also been identified in the coding sequences as well as in the 3' end of the negative-strand replicative intermediate. Herein, we provide an overview of the importance of these cis-acting RNA elements in the HCV life cycle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Selena M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sagan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Jasmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chahal
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States. Electronic address: psarnow@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sarnow
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D019065:Virus Assembly; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Hepatitis C virus; Internal ribosome entry site; cis-Acting RNA element; miR-122