I Molecular biology of hepatitis C virus

摘要: Publisher Summary This chapter describes current understanding of the molecular virology hepatitis C, including known physical properties infectious particle and its RNA genome, proposed functions virally encoded proteins, postulated pathway virus replication. Molecular immunological analyses confirmed that they contained C (HCV) structural proteins. They also exhibited a similar buoyant density sedimentation coefficient as described for putative HCV particles. The genome is single-stranded molecule positive polarity approximately 9.6 kb in length. It contains single open reading frame (ORF) ∼ 9 encodes polyprotein ∼3000 amino acids. Many advances have been made biology this virus, characterization role cis-acting genomic structure elements, function These were despite lack cell culture system efficiently propagating virus. Clearly there are several areas replication cycle require elucidation, mechanism entry, precise roles nonstructural proteins replication, means by which assembled released from infected cell. Determination these aspects may prove invaluable developing therapeutic prophylactic modalities infection.