FIG. 2.

Brefeldin A inhibits a postentry step of HCV infection. (A) Huh-7 cells were infected with HCVcc, HCVpp, RD114pp, or VSVpp in the presence of 0.2% ethanol (EtOH) or increasing concentrations of BFA. BFA was removed at 6 h postinfection. Luciferase activity was measured at 24 h or 48 h postinfection for HCVcc and pseudoparticles, respectively. The luciferase activity from ethanol-treated cells is expressed as 100%. Error bars indicate standard deviations. (B) Huh-7 cells were pretreated for 30 min with 50 ng/ml BFA and infected for 2 h. BFA was removed either before infection (a), just after infection (b), or at 8 h postinfection (c) or was present throughout the experiment (d). Luciferase activity was measured at 24 h postinfection. The luciferase activity from untreated cells (control) is expressed as 100%. (C) BFA was added to HCVcc-infected cells either 30 min before infection (a), at the beginning of the infection (b), just after infection (c), 2 h postinfection (d), or 8 h postinfection (e). Luciferase activity was measured at 24 h postinfection. The luciferase activity from untreated cells (control) is expressed as 100%. (D) HCVcc-infected cells were treated with 50 ng/ml BFA from 0 to 24 h, from 24 to 48 h, or from 48 to 72 h. Luciferase activity was measured at 72 h postinfection for all the samples. The luciferase activity from untreated cells (control) is expressed as 100%.