CHARACTERIZATION, CLONING AND EXPRESSION OF NS3 PROTEIN GENE OF HEPATITIS C GENOTYPE 4A

Clone and express NS3 gene of the Egyptian strai n ED43 of HCV genotype 4a in E. coli was studied . Gene and protein sequences of NS3 gene of the ED43 strain were first analyzed using PC/GENE program. DNA homology was 89% the homologies and that of the protein was 78.8% in dicating that NS3 gene of the genotype 4a is different from those isolated fr om other strains. DNA of NS3 region of genotype 4a was amplified from HCV_ED43/PUC19 plasmid. The PCR product was cloned and expressed in E. coli M15 using pQE-30 vector. Fusion protein containing the peptid es coded by HCV NS3 (NS3_4a) was expressed by Escherichia coli . The specific HCV antigenicity of the NS3_4a fusion protein was identified by west ern blotting.