Three-Dimensional Architecture and Biogenesis of Membrane Structures Associated with Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Figure 8
Membrane alterations induced by expression of individual HCV proteins.
Huh7.5 cells transfected with replicon RNAs (A, B) or Huh7-Lunet-T7 cells transfected with pTM-based expression constructs (C–H) specified in the left of each panel, respectively, were high pressure frozen 24 h after transfection, freeze substituted, embedded into epon resin and sections were analyzed by transmission EM. Representative images showing HCV-induced membrane alterations are shown. (I) Average diameter of specific vesicular structures, either DMVs or SMVs, detected in cells that had been transfected with constructs specified in the upper panels. Whiskers represent minimum and maximum values. (J) Number of vesicular structures detected in profiles of 10 transfected cells. Cells transfected with the pTM expression vector without HCV insert were used as reference. The number of vesicular structures per µm2 is given; whiskers represent minimum and maximum values. (K) Relative abundance of membranous structures. Note that only upon expression of the NS3-5A polyprotein and NS5A two different structures were observed. In all other cases, only one membranous structure was detected.