Figure 1.

Diagram of HCV genome. HCV genomic RNA contains 3′ and 5′-untranslated regions (UTR) that are required for viral replication. The 5′-UTR also contains an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) that directs translation of a viral polyprotein, which is further proteolytically processed into 10 proteins. The viral structure and nonstructural protein are labeled in red and green, respectively.