CHARACTERIZATION OF THE STRUCTURAL PROTEINS OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS EXPRESSED BY AN ADENOVIRUS RECOMBINANT

Human adenoviruses have been used for mammalian expression vectors and recombinant vaccines for heterologous antigens. We constructed and ch aracterized an infectious adenovirus recombinant containing core-E1-E2 genes of hepatitis C virus (HCV). The core protein was produced mainl y during the early phase of viral infection. Expression of HCV E1 and E2 envelope proteins was detected by an immunoprecipitation with HCV-p ositive patient's sera. The purified El and E2 proteins appeared to be composed of mainly a heterodimeric form via noncovalent interaction, as previously observed in other mammalian expression systems. A small portion of El and E2 monomers as well as E1E2 aggregates by interdisul fide linkage were detected. Apparently heterodimeric E1E2 complexes we re serologically reactive. The results suggest that adenovirus is an u seful HCV antigen-expression vector. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. Al l rights reserved.