Cross-genotypic interaction between hepatitis C virus NS3 protease domains and NS4A cofactors

Background/Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) protease requires NS4A as a cofactor. This cofactor activity has been mapped to the central region of NS4A which interacts with the N-terminus of NS3 protease. To investigate whether this interaction is conserved among different genotypes of HCV, cross-genotypic characterization were performed to delineate the importance of NS4A cofactor function in relation to the molecular evolution of HCV.