Trafficking of hepatitis C virus core protein during virus particle assembly.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is directed to the surface of lipid droplets (LD), a step that is essential for infectious virus production. However, the process by which core is recruited from LD into nascent virus particles is not well understood. To investigate the kinetics of core trafficki...

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Main Authors: Natalie A Counihan, Stephen M Rawlinson, Brett D Lindenbach
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2011-10-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1002302&type=printable
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author Natalie A Counihan
Stephen M Rawlinson
Brett D Lindenbach
author_facet Natalie A Counihan
Stephen M Rawlinson
Brett D Lindenbach
author_sort Natalie A Counihan
collection DOAJ
description Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is directed to the surface of lipid droplets (LD), a step that is essential for infectious virus production. However, the process by which core is recruited from LD into nascent virus particles is not well understood. To investigate the kinetics of core trafficking, we developed methods to image functional core protein in live, virus-producing cells. During the peak of virus assembly, core formed polarized caps on large, immotile LDs, adjacent to putative sites of assembly. In addition, LD-independent, motile puncta of core were found to traffic along microtubules. Importantly, core was recruited from LDs into these puncta, and interaction between the viral NS2 and NS3-4A proteins was essential for this recruitment process. These data reveal new aspects of core trafficking and identify a novel role for viral nonstructural proteins in virus particle assembly.
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institution Kabale University
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publishDate 2011-10-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
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spelling doaj-art-cd20bebb373d4250ab8916cb731033802025-08-20T03:25:03ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742011-10-01710e100230210.1371/journal.ppat.1002302Trafficking of hepatitis C virus core protein during virus particle assembly.Natalie A CounihanStephen M RawlinsonBrett D LindenbachHepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is directed to the surface of lipid droplets (LD), a step that is essential for infectious virus production. However, the process by which core is recruited from LD into nascent virus particles is not well understood. To investigate the kinetics of core trafficking, we developed methods to image functional core protein in live, virus-producing cells. During the peak of virus assembly, core formed polarized caps on large, immotile LDs, adjacent to putative sites of assembly. In addition, LD-independent, motile puncta of core were found to traffic along microtubules. Importantly, core was recruited from LDs into these puncta, and interaction between the viral NS2 and NS3-4A proteins was essential for this recruitment process. These data reveal new aspects of core trafficking and identify a novel role for viral nonstructural proteins in virus particle assembly.https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1002302&type=printable
spellingShingle Natalie A Counihan
Stephen M Rawlinson
Brett D Lindenbach
Trafficking of hepatitis C virus core protein during virus particle assembly.
PLoS Pathogens
title Trafficking of hepatitis C virus core protein during virus particle assembly.
title_full Trafficking of hepatitis C virus core protein during virus particle assembly.
title_fullStr Trafficking of hepatitis C virus core protein during virus particle assembly.
title_full_unstemmed Trafficking of hepatitis C virus core protein during virus particle assembly.
title_short Trafficking of hepatitis C virus core protein during virus particle assembly.
title_sort trafficking of hepatitis c virus core protein during virus particle assembly
url https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1002302&type=printable
work_keys_str_mv AT natalieacounihan traffickingofhepatitiscviruscoreproteinduringvirusparticleassembly
AT stephenmrawlinson traffickingofhepatitiscviruscoreproteinduringvirusparticleassembly
AT brettdlindenbach traffickingofhepatitiscviruscoreproteinduringvirusparticleassembly