hnRNP C and polypyrimidine tract-binding protein specifically interact with the pyrimidine-rich region within the 3'NTR of the HCV RNA genome

• Published in: Nucleic acids research 1999-03, Vol.27 (6), p.1457-1463
• Main Authors: Gontarek, R R, Gutshall, L L, Herold, K M, Tsai, J, Sathe, G M, Mao, J, Prescott, C, Del Vecchio, A M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3' Untranslated Regions; Base Sequence; Cytoplasm - metabolism; Flavivirus; Genome, Viral; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatoblastoma; Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group C; Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins; Humans; Liver - pathology; Liver - virology; Molecular Sequence Data; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein; Protein Binding; Ribonucleoproteins - metabolism; RNA, Viral - metabolism; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Tumor Cells, Cultured
• ISSN: 0305-1048; 1362-4962; 1362-4962
• DOI: 10.1093/nar/27.6.1457

Like other members of the Flaviviridae family, the 3' non-translated region (NTR) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is believed to function in the initiation and regulation of viral RNA replication by interacting with components of the viral replicase complex. To inves-tigate the possibility that host components may also participate in this process, we used UV cross-linking assays to determine if any cellular proteins could bind specifically to the 3'NTR RNA. We demonstrate the specific interaction of two host proteins with the extensive pyrimidine-rich region within the HCV 3'NTR. One host protein migrates as a doublet with a molecular weight of 57 kDa and is immunoreactive with antisera specific for polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB), and the other protein (35 kDa) is recognized by a monoclonal antibody specific for heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (hnRNP C). These results suggest that recognition of the large pyrimidine-rich region by PTB and hnRNP C may play a role in the initiation and/or regulation of HCV RNA replication.