Dissect the role of hepatitis C virus NS2 protein in virus assembly

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Hepatitis C virus(HCV) nonstructural protein 2(NS2) is a membrane-associated cysteine autoprotease that mediates cleavage of its own carboxyl terminus from NS3.In addition to its role in polyprotein processing, emerging evidence indicates that NS2plays crucial role in assembly of infectious virus particle. However, biological significance of NS2in the HCV assembly remains unclear. In this study, we screened human liver cDNA libraries by split-ubiquitin membrane yeast two-hybrid assay using NS2as a bait, and identified several NS2-interacting proteins. Following siRNA screening identified a membrane-associated cellular protein that is involved in HCV production. Gene silencing of the host factor resulted in no effect on the entry and RNA replication of HCV, suggesting that this host factor is involved in HCV assembly step. Interaction of the host factor with NS2 in mammalian cells was confirmed. Finding of this study may provide important information for understanding the molecular mechanism of assembly and formation of infectious HCV particles.