Journal article
Visualization and characterization of GB virus-C particles: evidence for a nucleocapsid
Journal of viral hepatitis, Vol.6(s1), pp.16-22
07/1999
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2893.1999.00003.x
PMID: 10760030
Abstract
GB virus type C (GBV-C) is a member of the hepacivirus genus within the Flaviviradae. Persistent GBV-C infection is common in humans, yet it remains unclear if GBV-C causes any disease. Although GBV-C infection has been associated with acute non-A to non-E post-transfusion hepatitis, it does not appear to cause chronic hepatitis. GBV-C is closely related to hepatitis C virus (HCV), but indirect evidence suggests that it does not encode a core protein at the amino terminus of the open reading frame (ORF). This has led to speculation that GBV-C does not have a nucleocapsid. We evaluated the buoyant density of GBV-C, and found very low density particles consistent with virions, and intermediate density particles consistent with nucleocapsids in GBV-C-infected people. In addition, electron microscopy demonstrated an apparent nucleocapsid within an enveloped particle. Although these biophysical data strongly suggest that GBV-C utilizes a nucleocapsid, they do not indicate the origin of the protein content of this particle. To assess this, we evaluated patient plasma for reactivity with a synthetic oligopeptide representing a conserved region near the amino terminus of the predicted ORF. Specific antibody was detected in some individuals, similar to data of Feucht et al. who identified antibody against a recombinant core protein in GBV-C-infected people. These data indicate that GBV-C particles contain nucleocapsids. At least in some patients, the region upstream of the GBV-C E1 protein coding region appears to be expressed, and this region may represent the structural protein of the nucleocapsid.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Visualization and characterization of GB virus-C particles: evidence for a nucleocapsid
- Creators
- J Xiang - Departments of Internal Medicine, Iowa City Veterans Administration Medical Center and The University of Iowa College of MedicineK.J Daniels - Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242D.R Soll - Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242W.N Schmidt - Departments of Internal Medicine, Iowa City Veterans Administration Medical Center and The University of Iowa College of MedicineD.R LaBrecque - Departments of Internal Medicine, Iowa City Veterans Administration Medical Center and The University of Iowa College of MedicineJ.T Stapleton - Departments of Internal Medicine, Iowa City Veterans Administration Medical Center and The University of Iowa College of Medicine
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of viral hepatitis, Vol.6(s1), pp.16-22
- Publisher
- Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1046/j.1365-2893.1999.00003.x
- PMID
- 10760030
- ISSN
- 1352-0504
- eISSN
- 1365-2893
- Number of pages
- 7
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/1999
- Academic Unit
- Microbiology and Immunology; Infectious Diseases; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Biology; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984094623802771
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