ABSTRACT
Lipid droplets are the main storage organelles for intracellular neutral lipids. Many recent studies have found that lipid droplets are closely related to hepatitis C virus (HCV). Lipid droplets play important roles in the multiple processes of HCV life cycle, such as infection, replication, assembly, and secretion. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress in the roles of lipid droplets in HCV life cycle.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Hepacivirus , Metabolism , Physiology , Host-Pathogen Interactions , Lipid Metabolism , Organelles , Virology , Viral Proteins , MetabolismABSTRACT
Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) frequently causes chronic viral hepatitis, a major risk factor for the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma or primary liver cancer. The origin of the HCV remains obscure because no closely related animal virus homolog has been identified. Also, efforts to understand the pathogenesis of the HCV have been hampered by the absence of small animal models for this human disease. Since 2011, with application of new sequencing technologies, various non-primate HCV homologs have been identified that will play an important part in understanding the origin and evolution of HCV, as well as establishment of related animal models.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Disease Models, Animal , Hepacivirus , Genetics , Hepatitis C , VirologyABSTRACT
COPI is a protein complex that transports vesicles from the Golgi complex back to endoplasmic reticulum. Many viruses such as RNA viruses, DNA viruses and retroviruses, hijack or adapt COPI related proteins including coatomer, ARF1 and GBF1 for their own benefits. Here, we summarize the current progress of the roles of COPI related proteins in virus replication.