E^rns can compensate for the role of apolipoproteins in the infectious particle formation of HCV.

(A) Gene structures of flaviviruses, pestiviruses, and hepaciviruses, and the experimental procedure. (B) Expression of ApoE and HA-tagged E^rns (HA- E^rns) from BVDV, CSFV, and BDV was determined by immunoblotting at 48-h post-transduction of lentiviruses into the BE-KO cells. Intracellular HCV RNA (C) and extracellular infectious titers (D) were determined at 72-h post-infection with JFH1 HCV at a multiple of infection (MOI) of 1 by qRT-PCR and focus-forming assay, respectively. (E) Expression of ApoE and HA-E^rns in 293T/CLDN1/miR-122 cells was determined by immunoblotting analysis. Intracellular HCV RNA (F) and extracellular infectious titers (G) were determined at 72-h post-infection with JFH1 HCV at an MOI of 10 by qRT-PCR and focus-forming assay, respectively. In all cases, asterisks indicate significant differences (* p < 0.01) versus the results of the control cells.