| Budget Amount *help |
¥15,990,000 (Direct Cost: ¥12,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,690,000)
Fiscal Year 2014: ¥3,640,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥840,000)
Fiscal Year 2013: ¥5,330,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,230,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥7,020,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,620,000)
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The mechanism(s) by which the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome becomes encapsidated remains unknown. Deep sequencing demonstrated that a majority of particle-associated HCV RNAs are genome-sized. In cell cultures producing HCV, molecular ratios of 3’ end viral RNA to 5’ end positively correlated with infectivity of fractions and that of virion-rich fraction was the highest, suggesting selective encapsidation of genome RNA. Using trans-complementation systems, the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of the genome was identified as a cis-acting element for RNA packaging. Mutations within the stem-loops at the 3’ end of the 3’ UTR were observed to diminish packaging efficiency. A foreign gene flanked by the 3’ UTR was encapsidated by supplying both viral NS3-NS5B proteins and Core-NS2 in trans. This study provides the first direct evidence of selective packaging of the HCV genome into the viral particles potentially through 3’ UTR-Core binding.
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