Hepatitis C virus genetic variability and evolution

Figure 1 Organisation of hepatitis C virus genome and hepatitis C virus polyprotein processing. Schematic representation of the 9.6 kb positive-stranded RNA genome. Simplified RNA secondary structures in the 5’ and 3’ non-coding regions (NCRs) are shown. Internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated translation produces a polyprotein precursor that is processed into the mature structural and non-structural proteins. Nucleotide positions are shown by numbers on the upper part of the scheme. Amino acid positions are shown by numbers in the lower part of the scheme. The coding region is depicted by rectangles showing the corresponding encoded proteins. Solid arrowheads denote cleavages by the endoplasmic reticulum signal peptidase. The open arrowhead indicates further C-terminal processing of the core protein by signal peptide peptidase. Red stars indicate cleavages by the hepatitis C virus NS2 and NS3-4A proteases.