Assay Method Information

Assay Name:  Stable Replicon Assay
Description:  The assay utilized the stably transfected cell line Huh-7 luc/neo (hereafter referred to as Huh-Luc). This cell line harbors an RNA encoding a bicistronic expression construct comprising the wild type NS3-NS5B regions of HCV type 1b translated from an Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) from encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), preceded by a reporter portion (FfL-luciferase), and a selectable marker portion (neoR, neomycine phosphotransferase). The construct is flanked by 5' and 3' NTRs (non-translated regions) from HCV type 1b. Continued culture of the replicon cells in the presence of G418 (neoR) is dependent on the replication of the HCV RNA. The stably transfected replicon cells that replicate HCV RNA autonomously and to high levels, encoding inter alia luciferase, were used for screening the antiviral compounds. The replicon cells were plated in 384 well plates in the presence of the test and control compounds which were added in various concentrations. Following an incubation of three days, HCV replication was measured by assaying luciferase activity (using standard luciferase assay substrates and reagents and a Perkin Elmer ViewLux™ ultraHTS microplate imager). Replicon cells in the control cultures have high luciferase expression in the absence of any inhibitor. The inhibitory activity of the compound was monitored on the Huh-Luc cells, enabling a dose-response curve for each test compound.
Affinity data for this assay
 

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