Subgenomic replicon derived from a cell line infected with the hepatitis C virus.

Recently, cell culture systems have been established, where a hepatitis C virus (HCV) subgenomic replicon was efficiently replicated and maintained for a long period. To see whether a HCV sequence derived from HCV-infected cultured cell sequence can be used for the construction of a functional replicon, a HCV subgenomic RNA carrying a neomycin-resistant gene was constructed using the HCV genome RNA obtained from cultured cells infected with HCV. After transfection, G418-resistant Huh-7 cells were selected and subcloned. Finally, the production of HCV proteins and de novo synthesis of subgenomic RNA were confirmed in the selected cell clone, indicating that this subgenomic RNA replicated in cultured cells and functioned as a replicon. These results suggest that the HCV genome obtained from an in vitro HCV infection system with cultured cells can be used to develop a subgenomic replicon system with diverse HCV sequences. (c) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).