HEPATITIS C VIRUS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. HCV is a blood born pathogen that infects about 3% of the human population. More than 70% of people infected with the virus eventually get chronic hepatitis which can cause cirrhosis of the liver, hepatocellular carcinoma, autoimmune diseases, and almost 30 other associations. Initially, HCV infection is asymptomatic. After 20-30 years of infection, most of patients will have symptoms (fatigue and poor appetite) of chronic liver infection with elevated levels of liver enzymes such as AST and ALT 1) Determine the 3D structure of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and its molecular components by cryo-EM using infectious blood collected during the early stages of infection prior to the development of liver injury or specific anti-HCV antibody 2) Analyze the molecular structure of the envelope proteins, E1E2, and develop a model of interaction with cellular receptors.