Published online Feb 15, 2003. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v9.i2.300
Revised: April 4, 2002
Accepted: April 20, 2002
Published online: February 15, 2003
AIM: To investigate the interaction between hepatitis C virus core protein and translin protein and its role in the pathogenensis of hepatocellular carcinoma and lymphoma.
METHODS: With the components of the yeast two hybrid system 3,“ bait” plasmids of HCV core the gene was constructed. After proving that hepatitis C virus core protein could be firmly expressed in AH109 yeast strains, yeast two- hybrid screening was performed by mating AH109 with Y187 that transformed with liver cDNA library plasmids - pACT2 and then plated on quadrople dropout (QDO) medium and then assayed for α-gal activity. Sequencing analysis of the genes of library plasmids in yeast colonies that could grow on QDO with α-gal activity was performed. The interaction between HCV core protein and the protein we obtained from positive colony was further confirmed by repeating yeast two - hybrid analysis and coimmunoprecipitation in vitro.
RESULTS: A gene from a positive colony was the gene of translin, a recombination hotspot binding protein. The interaction between HCV core protein and translin protein could be proved not only in yeast, but also in vitro.
CONCLUSION: The core protein of HCV can interact with translin protein. This can partly explain the molecular mechanism for hepatocellular carcinoma and lymphoma caused by HCV.