Computational Analysis of the Hepatitis C Virus Non-Structural Protein 4B and Functional Implications

Introduction: NS4B is a multifunctional protein, involved in membranous web formation and regulation of signal transduction cascades. The protein is located with the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Four to five transmembrane domains (TMDs) were discussed for the membrane topology. N- and C-termini are most probably oriented towards the cytoplasm. Although the flaviviridae family has a similar genetic organisation, a comparison of HCV NS4B to other members of the family is still missing. Methods: We used bioinformatic approaches to analyse structure and function relationships in HCV NS4B. Using the BLAST suite of…