(A). Proteasome inhibitor MG-132 treated naïve or CD81-silenced Raji cells were added to wild type E2 or E2-W529/A coated plates, at the indicated time points (minutes), the cells were lysed and the lysates were subject to Western blot analysis with anti-phospho-IκBα mAb and anti-total IκBα mAb. (B). Raji cells were cultured in HCV E2 protein coated plates or incubated with HCVcc, three days later, the cells were lysed, and then NF-κB in the lysates were analyzed using immuno-blotting, the ratios were obtained of the densitometric intensity of NF-κB band relative to the loading control GAPDH band. 1, Naïve Raji cells; 2, E2 treated Raji cells; 3, E2 treated CD81-silenced Raji cells; 4, E2-W529/A treated Raji cells; 5, HCVcc treated Raji cells; 6, HCVcc treated CD81-silenced Raji cells.