Two Methods of Heterokaryon Formation to Discover HCV Restriction FactorsAnne Frentzen *1, Kathrin Hueging *1, Julia Bitzegeio 2, Thomas Pietschmann 1, Eike Steinmann 1
1Division of Experimental Virology, Twincore, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, 2Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Laboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, NY
We describe two methods for conditional trans-complementation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) assembly and the completion of the full viral life cycle, which rely on heterokaryon formation. These techniques are suitable to screen for cell lines that express dominant restriction factors, which preclude production of infectious HCV progeny.
