Topological and evolutional relationships between HCV core protein and hepatic lipid vesicles: Studies in vitro and in conditionally transgenic mice

Figure 2 A and B: Immunofluorescent stain for transfected HeLa cells and primary hepatocytes (C) (× 60). Two cytoplasmic distribution patterns of the core protein in HeLa cells were obtained-condensed perinuclear (A) and disseminated granular (B) patterns. The core protein was present exclusively in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes and some of it exhibited the vesicular pattern (C, × 60, arrows). Under the electron microscope (D and E, × 100), the vesicular structures were found to be lipid vesicles and the core protein was located just underneath the surface of the vesicles (E, arrows), whereas the cells transfected with empty plasmid (PUGH16-3) showed no core associated with the lipid vesicles (D).