Hepatitis C virus core protein: Its coordinate roles with PA28γ in metabolic abnormality and carcinogenicity in the liver

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver diseases, including steatosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and epidemiological studies indicate that HCV is also associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The HCV core protein is not only a viral structural component but also a pathogenic factor, since its expression leads to the development of liver steatosis, insulin resistance and hepatocellular carcinoma in mice. The nuclear proteasome activator PA28γ/REGγ, which specifically binds to the core protein, is required for the virulence of the core protein. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which HCV core protein participates in the above conditions may provide clues toward the development of novel therapeutic measures for chronic hepatitis C.