Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026
13:04
A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Published on: June 26, 2014
24.8K
Hepatitis C Virus-Induced Rab32 Aggregation and Its Implications for Virion Assembly
Tu M Pham1, Si C Tran1, Yun-Sook Lim1
1National Research Laboratory of Hepatitis C Virus and Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Anyang, South Korea.
Journal of Virology
|November 18, 2016
Summary
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection upregulates Rab32, a host protein. HCV manipulates Rab32
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) relies on host cell factors for replication.
- Rab32, a small GTPase, regulates intracellular membrane trafficking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Rab32 in the Hepatitis C virus life cycle.
- To elucidate the mechanism by which Rab32 influences HCV propagation.
Main Methods:
- High-throughput next-generation sequencing to analyze host transcriptomic changes.
- RNA interference to assess Rab32's function in HCV infection.
- Western blotting and RT-PCR to quantify Rab32 expression levels.
Main Results:
- HCV infection increased both mRNA and protein levels of Rab32.
- HCV infection shifted Rab32 towards its GDP-bound form, promoting aggregation.
- GDP-bound Rab32 interacted with HCV core protein, facilitating viral assembly in ER-associated structures.
Conclusions:
- Rab32 is upregulated and functionally altered during HCV infection.
- Rab32 plays a critical role specifically in the assembly of Hepatitis C virus particles.
- Rab32 represents a novel host factor essential for HCV virion production.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Rab Cascades
3.7K
Rab GTPases act in a regulated cascade during membrane fusion, helping the lipid bilayers mix. The Rab family of proteins are active when bound to GTP, and inactive when bound to GDP. Hence, they act as guanine nucleotide-dependent molecular switches. Rab-GTP recognizes and binds to long or short-range tethering proteins to capture the target vesicle. These tethers coordinate with SNAREs on the vesicle and the target membrane to assemble the trans SNARE complex that locks the mixing bilayers.
3.7K
02:41Protein Complex Assembly
17.0K
Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types. Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
17.0K
01:14Rab Proteins
5.3K
Rab proteins constitute the largest family of monomeric GTPases, of which 70 members are present in humans. Rab proteins and their effectors regulate consecutive stages of vesicle transport such as vesicle transport, docking, and fusion to the correct recipient membrane.
Rab proteins switch between a cytosolic, GDP-bound inactive state and a membrane-anchored, GTP-bound active state. By themselves, Rabs show slow rates of GDP/GTP exchange and GTP hydrolysis. Thus, Rab proteins are considered...
Rab proteins switch between a cytosolic, GDP-bound inactive state and a membrane-anchored, GTP-bound active state. By themselves, Rabs show slow rates of GDP/GTP exchange and GTP hydrolysis. Thus, Rab proteins are considered...
5.3K
01:33Coat Assembly and GTPases
4.6K
Vesicles incorporate different coat protein subunits in different cell locations, which changes the properties of the coat, such as the shape and geometry of the transport vesicles. Thus, vesicle coat proteins also play a significant role in cargo selection.
Coat assembly depends on the local availability of phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs and GTP-binding proteins. Adaptor proteins, which link the coat proteins to the membrane, bind to these PIPs and play a crucial role in controlling...
Coat assembly depends on the local availability of phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs and GTP-binding proteins. Adaptor proteins, which link the coat proteins to the membrane, bind to these PIPs and play a crucial role in controlling...
4.6K