Alpha-glucosidases inhibitors impair HCV pseudoparticles morphogenesis, prevent viral secretion and entry into hepatoma cells

The morphogenesis of HCV belongs to steps of the viral cycle that have not yet been targeted by antiviral strategies. With the lack of an efficient and reliable culture system able to produce and secrete HCV virions, we use two complementary approaches to study the effect of c~-gluensidase inhibitors on HCV morphogenesis, secretion and entry. These two approaches have allowed us to demonstrate tile mechanism of tile antiviral effect of O,-glucosidase inhibitors on HCV glyenprotein folding and assembly, morphogenesis, viral secretion, and viral infectivity.