FIG. 1.

Experimental approach used to establish cell lines carrying self-replicating HCV RNAs. neo, neomycin phosphotransferase gene; EI, EMCV IRES; T7, promoter of the bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. Since for optimal HCV IRES activity ∼36 nucleotides of the core open reading frame are required, 12 amino acid residues of the core protein are fused to the amino terminus of the neomycin phosphotransferase. For details, see the text.