FIG. 2.

Primer extension study of the HCV RNA constructs. (A) Calibration of the primer extension reactions. Decreasing amounts of HCV-5CL-X RNA were used in the primer extension reactions with a 5′-UTR primer, yielding a 265-nt product (arrow). (B) RNA stability of HCV-5CL (lanes 1 to 3), 5CL-Vec (lanes 4 to 6), and 5CL-X (lanes 7 to 9) RNA in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Two micrograms of each RNA was used in in vitro translation in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Reactions were stopped at 0 min (lanes 1, 4, and 7), 30 min (lanes 2, 5, and 8), and 90 min (lanes 3, 6, and 9). RNAs were extracted, and half of the amounts from each time points were used in primer extension experiments as in panel A.