Open AccessHow hepatitis C virus invades hepatocytes: The mystery of viral entry
Author(s) -
Yu Zhu,
Xijing Qian,
Ping Zhao,
Zhongtian Qi
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v20.i13.3457
Subject(s) - cd81 , viral entry , scavenger receptor , internalization , receptor , biology , hepatitis c virus , occludin , tetraspanin , hepatocyte growth factor receptor , tyrosine kinase , receptor tyrosine kinase , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , virus , kinase , cell , signal transduction , tight junction , viral replication , hepatocyte growth factor , lipoprotein , biochemistry , c met , cholesterol
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health problem, with an estimated 170 million people being chronically infected. HCV cell entry is a complex multi-step process, involving several cellular factors that trigger virus uptake into the hepatocytes. The high- density lipoprotein receptor scavenger receptor class B type I, tetraspanin CD81, tight junction protein claudin-1, and occludin are the main receptors that mediate the initial step of HCV infection. In addition, the virus uses cell receptor tyrosine kinases as entry regulators, such as epidermal growth factor receptor and ephrin receptor A2. This review summarizes the current understanding about how cell surface molecules are involved in HCV attachment, internalization, and membrane fusion, and how host cell kinases regulate virus entry. The advances of the potential antiviral agents targeting this process are introduced.