Lipid dysregulation in hepatitis C virus, and impact of statin therapy upon clinical outcomes

Table 1 Functions of hepatitis C virus structural and non-structural proteins

Protein	Function	Association with Lipid Metabolism
Structural proteins
E1	Surface envelope protein of LVP	Enriched around lipid droplet
E2	Surface envelope protein of LVP, binds CD81 for viral fusion and cell entry	Interacts with ApoE and SRB1 facilitating lipid transfers around LD
Core	Important for cell surface binding, replication and assembly	Increases expression of SREBP, FASN. Colocalizes with apoB
Non-structural proteins
P7	Creates transmembrane ion channel in membranous web, (viroporin)	Assists in recruitment of core protein to LD by DGAT1
NS2	Cysteine protease	Increases expression of FASN, SREBP
NS3	Serine protease, RNA helicase, promotes viral protein processing with NS4A	Unknown
NS4A	Protease; cofactor for NS3	Unknown
NS4B	Directs membrane rearrangements for formation of membranous web	Activates fatty acid synthase, associates with DGAT1 and P14KA, facilitating creation of membranous web
NS5A	Phosphoprotein, required for replication, forms bridge to assembly	Activates FASN; associates with P14KA, DGAT1
NS5B	RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, for replication of viral genome	Direct interaction with fatty acid synthase gene