Fig. 5.

Inhibition of HCV entry is calcium dependent. a Infection assays were prepared with cell culture-grown HCV. Neutralization was performed with approximately 50% neutralizing concentrations of oligomeric L-ficolin in the presence of 2 mM CaCl₂ (black bars) or 7 mM CaCl₂ (gray bars). Neutralization was compared to a positive uninhibited control and a sample treated with an equivalent L-ficolin-negative fraction from purification. Greater neutralization of HCVcc was observed with L-ficolin fractions in the presence of 7 mM CaCl₂ (** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, one-way analysis of variance). * p < 0.05. b Ficolin was incubated in PBS ± 7 mM CaCl₂ before analysis by SDS-PAGE/Western blotting with mAb GN5. No difference in oligomerization was observed in the presence of CaCl₂.