HCV Core NS3

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant global health concern, affecting millions of people worldwide. It is a member of the Hepacivirus genus within the Flaviviridae family. The HCV genome is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA of approximately 9.6 kb in length, encoding a single polyprotein that is processed into structural and non-structural proteins .

The HCV polyprotein is co- and post-translationally processed by cellular and viral proteases to yield 11 viral proteins. These include three structural proteins (core, E1, and E2), a small polypeptide named p7, and six non-structural (NS) proteins (NS2, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A, and NS5B) .

• Core Protein: The core protein forms the nucleocapsid, which encapsulates the viral RNA. It plays a crucial role in the assembly and release of the virus.
• NS3 Protein: The NS3 protein is a multifunctional enzyme with serine protease and helicase activities. It is responsible for cleaving the viral polyprotein to release non-structural proteins and plays a role in subverting the host immune response .

Recombinant NS3 protein is produced using various expression systems, such as E. coli, to study its structure and function. The NS3 protein is crucial for viral replication and pathogenesis, making it a target for antiviral drug development .

The core and NS3 proteins are major immunogenic proteins in HCV infection. They elicit strong humoral and cellular immune responses, making them potential candidates for vaccine development . Various strategies, such as incorporating multiple viral proteins and molecular tags, have been employed to optimize the efficacy of HCV DNA vaccines .