Figure 1.

HCV genome and polyprotein. The HCV genome is composed of an open reading frame (ORF) flanked by 5’ and 3’ untranslated regions (UTRs). IRES-mediated translation of the ORF leads to the formation of a polyprotein that is processed into 10 viral proteins. Cleavage of the core protein from E1 involves cellular signal peptidases, which also cleave E1, E2, and p7 from the polyprotein (pink arrows). The NS2–NS3 protease auto-cleaves itself (green arrow). The NS3 protease located in the first one-third of NS3, assisted by its membrane-bound cofactor, NS4A, cleaves the remaining proteins NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A, and NS5B (violet arrows).