RNA protein interactions coordinating gene expression and replication of hepatitis C virus

The project aims at getting detailed insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie the intracellular multiplication of the RNA genomes of the human pathogen hepatitis C virus (HCV). Specifically, we want to understand the role of a group of ubiquitous cellular factors, the so-called NF/NFAR proteins, in the coordination of the translation and replication process of the viral RNAs and to examine the impact of posttranslational modifications of the NF/NFAR proteins along their recruitment as functional components of the viral replication machinery.