FIG 8.

Proposed model of miR-122’s function in the establishment of HCV infection. We propose that binding of miR-122 to the incoming viral RNA promotes viral translation and genome stability to allow the viral RNA to generate a threshold amount of viral protein required to initiate genome replication and the formation of virus replication complexes. After the establishment of replication complexes, miR-122 may support ongoing virus replication by promoting the establishment of new replication complexes inside an infected cell or after an infected cell divides.