Hepatitis C virus NS3 protein interacts with ELKS-δ and ELKS-α, members of a novel protein family involved in intracellular transport and secretory pathways

摘要: The NS3 protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has a serine protease activity in its N-terminal region, which plays crucial role replication. This region also been reported to interact not only with viral cofactor NS4A, but number host-cell proteins, suggests multifunctional feature NS3. By means yeast two-hybrid screening using an as bait, human cDNA encoding ELKS-δ, member novel family proteins involved intracellular transport and secretory pathways, was molecularly cloned. Using co-immunoprecipitation, GST pull-down confocal immunoelectron microscopic analyses, it shown that full-length interacted physically ELKS-δ splice variant, ELKS-α, both the absence presence cultured cells, including Huh-7 cells harbouring HCV subgenomic RNA replicon. degree binding varied different sequences 180 residues Interestingly, NS3, either or fragments, enhanced secretion secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) from increase SEAP correlated well between ELKS-δ. Taken together, these results suggest possibility modulating functions such through may facilitate life cycle and/or mediate pathogenesis HCV.