Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2026

A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Published on: June 26, 2014
Hepatitis C virus-like particle budding: role of the core protein and importance of its Asp111
Emmanuelle Blanchard1, Christophe Hourioux, Denys Brand
1Laboratoire de Virologie, Faculté de Médecine et Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, 2 bis Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France.
Abstract:
In the absence of a hepatitis C virus (HCV) culture system, the use of a Semliki Forest virus replicon expressing genes encoding HCV structural proteins that assemble into HCV-like particles provides an opportunity to study HCV morphogenesis. Using this system, we showed that the HCV core protein constitutes the budding apparatus of the virus and that its targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum by means of the signal sequence of E1 protein is essential for budding. In addition, the aspartic acid at position 111 in the HCV core protein sequence was found to be crucial for virus assembly, demonstrating the usefulness of this system for mapping amino acids critical to HCV morphogenesis.
Related Concept Videos
Hepatitis
Viral Structure
Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly
Inhibitors Of Virion Release
Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis
CF is primarily caused by a genetic mutation in a chromosome 7 gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common gene mutation leading to CF is the ΔF508 mutation, but...

