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Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1994 Apr;68(4):2731–2734. doi: 10.1128/jvi.68.4.2731-2734.1994

Analysis of N-terminal processing of hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 2.

H Mizushima 1, M Hijikata 1, Y Tanji 1, K Kimura 1, K Shimotohno 1
PMCID: PMC236751  PMID: 8139048

Abstract

We determined the partial amino (N)-terminal amino acid sequence of hepatitis C virus p21 (nonstructural protein 2 [NS2]). Cleavage at the p21 (NS2) N terminus depended on the presence of microsomal membranes. The amino-terminal position of p21 (NS2) was assigned to amino acid 810 of the hepatitis C virus strain IIJ precursor polyprotein. Mutation of the alanine residue at position P1 of the putative cleavage site inhibited membrane-dependent processing. This alteration in processing together with the fact that hydrophobic amino acid residues are clustered upstream of the putative cleavage site suggested the involvement of a signal peptidase(s) in the cleavage. Furthermore, mutation analysis of this possible cleavage site revealed the presence of another microsome membrane-dependent cleavage site upstream of the N terminus of p21 (NS2).

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Selected References

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