%0 Journal Article %A Suzuki, Tetsuro %A Sato, Mitsuru %A Chieda, Shinya %A Shoji, Ikuo %A Harada, Takashi %A Yamakawa, Yoshio %A Watabe, Shoji %A Matsuura, Yoshiharu %A Miyamura, Tatsuo %T In vivo and in vitro trans-cleavage activity of hepatitis C virus serine proteinase expressed by recombinant baculoviruses %D 1995 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 76 %N 12 %P 3021-3029 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-76-12-3021 %I Microbiology Society, %X By the use of recombinant baculoviruses, the trans-cleavage of hepatitis C virus (HCV) non-structural polyprotein was studied. The viral serine proteinase encoded by the NS3 gene was expressed efficiently in insect cells infected with a baculovirus recombined with HCV cDNA corresponding to amino acids 1046-1243 and the signal sequence of the rabies virus G protein. Coinfection studies showed the in vivo trans-cleavage activity of the expressed protein by the use of a recombinant producing NS5 as a substrate. We also found that the partially purified NS3 serine proteinase propared from the recombinant-infected cells could cleave NS5A/5B substrate. Characterization of the proteinase obtained will provide basic knowledge on processing of the HCV polyprotein. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-76-12-3021