Figure 1.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome structure. HCV RNA genome is ∼9600 nt long. The virus RNA contains a single long open reading frame (ORF) of ∼3000 codons long that is flanked by 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) with secondary RNA structures. At least 10 viral proteins are processed from the large polypeptides encoded by the ORF. Each viral protein has a single or multiple functions. The NS3, NS5A, and NS5B proteins are the targets of currently available direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).