Study of the Effect of Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein on Interferon-induced Antiviral Genes Expression and Its Mechanisms

Abstract:

To study the effect of HCV core protein on the interferon-induced antiviral genes expression and its mechanisms. Methods HepG2 cells were transiently transfected with HCV core protein expression plasmid and the blank plasmid respectively. RT-PCR was used to analyze the effect of HCV core protein on PKR and 2′-5′OAS expression. The effect of HCV core protein on ISRE-medicated gene expression was detected by luciferase activity assay. Western-blot assay was performed to observe the change of mRNA and protein levels of SOCS3，STAT1 and p-STAT1 following HCV core expression. In the presence of HCV core protein，the transcription of PKR and 2′-5′OAS are down-regulated. ISRE-medicated reporter gene expression and STAT1 phosphorylation were inhibited. The transcription and expression of SOCS3 were induced compared with blank plasmid-transfected group. In HepG2 cells，HCV core protein can down-regulate the expression of some interferon-induced antiviral genes，which involves the induction of SOCS3 and the inhibition of STAT1 phosphorylation.