C-terminal domain of hepatitis C virus core protein is essential for secretion

Figure 3 Kinetics of core protein secretion in culture medium of the recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells. Sf9 insect cells were infected with recombinant baculoviruses expressing full-length core protein (A). Cell lysates were prepared from d 1 to d 4 postinfection, and separated by SDS-PAGE on a 15% gel and Western blotted with an HCV patient serum (B); Culture supernatants were harvested from d 1 to d 4 postinfection and secreted core proteins were detected by Western blot analysis. Kinetics of intracellular core protein (C) and extracellular core protein (D) productions were quantified using a densitometric scanner (Molecular Dynamics).