E2

Glycoprotein E2 is an approximately 50 kDa viral envelope protein encoded by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome. HCV infection often progresses to severe, liver-associated diseases, such as cirrhosis, steatosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Both E1 and E2 are essential for infectivity, with E2 possessing the binding sites for the entry receptors CD81 and SCARB1.Moreover, glycoprotein E2 is BDCA-2 ligand and acts as an inhibitor of IFN production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells.