Figure 1. Two copies of miR-122 (red font) bind the extreme 5′ end of the positive-strand RNA genome of HCV (black font). The base-pair interactions shown have been established by genetic approaches and are important for viral replication. Seed sequence interactions are labeled S1 and S2. miR-122 recruits Ago2 to the RNA. PCPB2 binds to stem-loop 1 of the viral 5′NTR, formed by sequence within the most 5′ miR-122 binding site (S1).