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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:dateCreated
1995-1-13
pubmed:abstractText
The protease activity of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protein has been investigated using transient expression methods in mammalian cells, as well as in vitro transcription/translation systems. We confirmed that expression of the NS3-5 polyprotein in rabbit reticulocyte lysates results in efficient cis processing at the NS3/NS4 junction. However, processing at the other predicted sites of NS3-mediated cleavage varied markedly in efficiency, the site most susceptible being that between NS5A and NS5B. Time-course analysis of the proteolytic processing of the HCV non-structural precursor showed that the cis cleavage between NS3 and NS4 occurred extremely rapidly. However, efficient cleavage at this position was dependent on the prior removal of the NS2 protein. Furthermore, the presence of uncleaved NS2 sequences on the enzyme severely impeded NS3-mediated proteolysis at downstream sites in the polyprotein. This suggests therefore that efficient cleavage at the NS2/NS3 junction is a pivotal event in HCV replication. During the course of this study a proteolytically inactive mutant of NS3 was characterized carrying a previously unreported amino acid substitution near the proposed active site of the enzyme. Molecular modelling suggested that the amino acid present at this position may influence the conformation of the active site of the enzyme. Recently a number of reports have described a second protease activity, located in the NS2/NS3 region, which is responsible for cleavage at the NS2/NS3 junction. We have identified an isolate of HCV, obtained from a U.K. patient, which has a virtually inactive NS2/NS3 protease. The possible implications of this observation are discussed.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0022-1317
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
75 ( Pt 12)
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
3469-76
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Animals, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Base Sequence, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Binding Sites, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Cell-Free System, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Cloning, Molecular, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Great Britain, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Hepacivirus, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Molecular Sequence Data, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Mutation, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Protein Biosynthesis, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Protein Precursors, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Protein Processing, Post-Translational, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Rabbits, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Recombinant Proteins, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Sequence Alignment, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Serine Endopeptidases, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Transcription, Genetic, pubmed-meshheading:7996139-Viral Nonstructural Proteins
pubmed:year
1994
pubmed:articleTitle
Analysis of NS3-mediated processing of the hepatitis C virus non-structural region in vitro.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Molecular Sciences, Wellcome Research Laboratories, Beckenham, Kent, U.K.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article