Description
The capsid is formed by polymerization of the HCV Core protein, a structural viral protein encoded by the 5 end of the HCV open reading frame.1 After translation, host signal peptidases cleave the HCV Core protein from the precursor polyprotein and remove the signal peptide located at its C-terminus. The HCV Core protein is antigenic, interacts with numerous cellular proteins, induces specific cellular and humoral responses, and through various pathways could play an important role in the pathogenesis of HCV infection