Core Protein of Hepatitis C Virus Induces Cardiomyopathy

Core protein of hepatitis C virus induces cardiomyopathy.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been reported to be associated with cardiomyopathy. However, the mechanism of cardiomyopathy in chronic HCV infection is still unclear. Therefore, we investigate the development of cardiomyopathy in mice transgenic for the HCV-core gene. After the age of 12 months, mice developed cardiomyopathy that appeared as left ventricular dilatation, and systolic and diastolic ...

Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein Induces Neuroimmune Activation and Potentiates Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Neurotoxicity

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genomes and proteins are present in human brain tissues although the impact of HIV/HCV co-infection on neuropathogenesis remains unclear. Herein, we investigate HCV infectivity and effects on neuronal survival and neuroinflammation in conjunction with HIV infection. METHODOLOGY Human microglia, astrocyte and neuron cultures were infected with cell culture-de...

Overexpression of Full-Length Core Protein of Hepatitis C Virus by Escherichia coli Cultivated in Stirred Tank Fermentor

The mature core protein of the Hepatitis C virus (HCVC173) carrying pelB as a signal peptide (PelB::core) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli as 18% and 23.3% of the host’s total protein, in flask and fermentor cultivation, respectively. A final specific yield of 25 ± 1 mg HCVC173/g dry cell weight and an overallproductivity of 51±1 mg HCVC173/l/h were obtained in the stirred-tank ferme...

CpG Motif as an Adjuvant in Immunization of a Recombinant Plasmid Encoding Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein

Analysis of hepatitis C virus core protein interaction domains.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein forms the internal viral coat that encapsidates the genomic RNA and is enveloped in a host cell-derived lipid membrane. As the single capsid protein, core should be capable of multimerization but attempts to produce virus-like particles following expression of HCV structural proteins have not been successful. In this study, we have analysed the interaction c...