VIDEO ANIMATION: animated movie of hepatitis C virus

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HEPATITIS: animation of hepatitis C virus The orange spikes covering the surface represent the E (Envelope) Proteins. Each spike is a dimer of E1 and E2 anchored into the viral envelope (illustrated as a greenish-blue layer). This viral envelope is derived from host cell ER membrane. Below that is a purplish layer representing the core (C) proteins. In the core lies the RNA genome. It is not known whether p7 (a small protein that may hexamerise into a viroporin) is present in the virion.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a small enveloped + single stranded RNA virus. It classified in the family Flaviviridae (L. Flavus: yellow named after Yellow Fever) in the genus Hepacivirus.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: With many thanks to Professor Eric Gowans at the Macfarlane Burnet Institute in Melbourne Australia for his helpful discussions, advice and comments.

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REFERENCES

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Clayton RF, Owsianka A, Aitken J, Graham S, Bhella D, & Patel AH. Analysis of Antigenicity and Topolgy of E2 Glycoprotein Present on Recombinant Hepatitis C Virus-Like Particles. Journal of Virology Aug 2002, Vol. 76, No. 15, p. 7672-7682

De Beeck AO, Cocquerel L & Dubuisson J. Biogenesis of hepatitis C virus envelope glycoproteins. Journal of General Virology (2001), 82, 2589-2595

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Nielsen SU, Bassendine MF, Burt AD, Bevitt DJ & Toms GL. Characterization of the genome and structural proteins of hepatitis C virus resolved from infected human liver. Journal of General Virology (2004), 85, 1497-1507

Penin F, Dubuisson J, Rey FA, Moradpour D, Pawlotsky JM. Structural Biology of Hepatitis C Virus. HEPATOLOGY, Vol. 39, No. 1, 2004

Shimizu YK, Feinstone SM, Kohara M, Purcell RH, Yoshikura H. Hepatitis C Virus: Detection of Intracellular Virus Particles by Electron Microscopy. HEPATOLOGY, Vol. 23, No. 2, 1996

4. Ishida S, Kaito M, Kohara M, Tsukiyama-kohora K, Fujita N, Ikoma J, Adachi Y, Wantanabe S. Hepatitis C virus core particle detected by immunoelectron microscopy and optical rotation technique. Hepatology Reseach 20 (2001) 335-347

4. Lo SY, SElby MJ & Ou JH. Interaction between Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein and E1 Envelope Protein. Journal of Virology Aug 1996, Vol. 70, No. 8, p. 5177-5182

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