| abstract |
A recombinant RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of hepatitis C virus (r-HCV-RDRP) coding DNA was cloned and expressed yielding active enzyme in vitro. The r-HCV-RDRP can include up to 20 added amino acids and up to nine deleted or substituted amino acids at the NH2-terminus of the encoded amino acid sequence. The invention provides method to solubilize r-HCV-RDRP from a host cell lysate and purified r-HCV-RDRP. Methods for screening for inhibitors of r-HCV-RDRP in vitro, for making stably transfected mammalian cells expressing r-HCV-RDRP and for in vivo testing of r-HCV-RDRP inhibitors in vivo are disclosed. The invention provides antibodies to r-HCV-RDRP and methods for detecting antibodies to HCV-RDRP in serum of human patients. |