丙型肝炎核心蛋白与NS3蛋白在转基因小鼠中的表达

为研究丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白及ＮＳ３蛋白在转基因小鼠体内的基因表达及细胞内定位，以及病毒蛋白 直接致细胞病变效应，我们采用ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ方法检测了靶基因ｍＲＮＡ在转基因小鼠各种组织中的表达，用免疫组化方法分析了核心蛋白与ＮＳ３蛋白在转基因小鼠体内的表达及细胞内定位。

TRANSGENIC EXPRESSION OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS CORE AND NS3 PROTEINS IN THE MOUSE IS NOT CYTOPATHIC

In order to investigate the biosynthesis and intracellular localization of the hepatitis C virus core and NS3 proteins in vivo, and to understand the role of these in vivo expressed proteins in the pathogenesis and tumorigenesis of HCV infection, we detected the mRNA expression of transgene in the tissues of established transgenic mice model of HCV by RT-PCR, and analyzed the intracellular localization of expressed transgenic products, i. e., core and NS3 proteins. Our results revealed that the mRNA of transgenes were expressed in the liver, kidney, heart and lung tissues of transgenic mice. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a predominant nuclear presence of core protein and cytoplasmic expression of NS3 protein in the transgenic tissues.The expression of transgenes could be upregulated by Zn 2+ ion ingestion in these transgenic mice. Despite the high level expression of HCV core and NS3 proteins in vivo, the livers of these transgenic lineages remained histologically normal. These results suggest that the HCV core and NS3 proteins are not cytopathic in vivo, and they represent a good small animal model to study HCV infection.