c-Src is required for complex formation between the hepatitis C virus-encoded proteins NS5A and NS5B: a prerequisite for replication.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and establishes a persistent infection in more than 60% of infected individuals. This high frequency of persistent infection indicates that HCV has evolved efficient strategies to interfere with the adaptive and innate immune response and to occupy and use host cell infrastructure. The present study provides evidence that c-Src, a member of the Src family kinases that participates in many signal transduction pathways, represents an essential host factor exploited for viral replication.