title: Ultrastructural and biochemical basis for hepatitis C virus morphogenesis.
abstract: Chronic infection with HCV is a leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure. One of the least understood steps in the HCV life cycle is the morphogenesis of new viral particles. HCV infection alters the lipid metabolism and generates a variety of microenvironments in the cell cytoplasm that protect viral proteins and RNA promoting viral replication and assembly. Lipid droplets (LDs) have been proposed to link viral RNA synthesis and virion assembly by physically associating these viral processes. HCV assembly, envelopment, and maturation have been shown to take place at specialized detergent-resistant membranes in the ER, rich in cholesterol and sphingolipids, supporting the synthesis of luminal LDs-containing ApoE. HCV assembly involves a regulated allocation of viral and host factors to viral assembly sites. Then, virus budding takes place through encapsidation of the HCV genome and viral envelopment in the ER. Interaction of ApoE with envelope proteins supports the viral particle acquisition of lipids and maturation. HCV secretion has been suggested to entail the ion channel activity of viral p7, several components of the classical trafficking and autophagy pathways, ESCRT, and exosome-mediated export of viral RNA. Here, we review the most recent advances in virus morphogenesis and the interplay between viral and host factors required for the formation of HCV virions.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología, P.O. Box 6162, C.P. 10600, Havana, Cuba. viviana.falcon@cigb.edu.cu.
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Falcón
authors.affiliation: National Center for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 6414, 10600, Havana, Cuba. nelson.acosta@cnic.edu.cu.|Centre for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, 10400, Havana, Cuba. nelson.acosta@cnic.edu.cu.
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Acosta-Rivero
authors.affiliation: CINVESTAV-IPN, México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Sirenia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología, P.O. Box 6162, C.P. 10600, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dueñas-Carrera
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología, P.O. Box 6162, C.P. 10600, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martinez-Donato
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología, P.O. Box 6162, C.P. 10600, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Ivon
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Menéndez
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología, P.O. Box 6162, C.P. 10600, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Rocio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garateix
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología, P.O. Box 6162, C.P. 10600, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Study in Cuba, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.affiliation: CINVESTAV-IPN, México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kourı
mesh_terms: D016679:Genome, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D066292:Lipid Droplets / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D019065:Virus Assembly / Q000235:genetics*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Hepatitis C virus; Viral life cycle; Virus morphogenesis; Virus replication; Virus–host interactions