C-terminal domain of hepatitis C virus core protein is essential for secretion

Figure 4 Effects of mutant core proteins on core secretion. (A) Schematic diagram illustrating the recombinant baculoviruses expressing truncated forms of core protein. Mutant core constructs were generated by PCR and the subsequent recombinant baculoviruses were made as described in Materials and methods. Protein expression of each mutant was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining (B) and Western blot analysis by using HCV patient serum (C). (D) Determination of extracellular core release among wild type and mutant core proteins. Insect cells were infected with recombinant baculoviruses expressing wild type and various mutant forms of core proteins and harvested at d 3 postinfection. Culture supernatants were partially purified and determined for core secretion by Western blot analysis as described in the legend to Figure 1B.