Table 1.
Viral proteins and their functions in HCV life cycle
| Protein | Molecular Mass1 | Function |
| Core | 21 kDa | RNA binding; nucleocapsid |
| E1 | 31-35 kDa | Envelope glycoprotein; associate with E2 |
| E2 | 70 kDa | Envelope glycoprotein; receptor binding; associate with E1 |
| p7 | 7 kDa | Ion channel |
| NS2 | 21 kDa | Component of NS2-3 proteinase |
| NS3 | 69 kDa | N-terminal proteinase domain; |
| C-terminal NTPase/helicase domain | ||
| NS4A | 6 kDa | NS3-4A proteinase cofactor |
| NS4B | 27 kDa | Induces membrane alterations |
| NS5A | 56-58 kDa | Phosphoprotein |
| NS5B | 68 kDa | RNA-dependent RNA polymerase |
Estimated by SDS-PAGE.