Project B02

Scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1), a member of the CD36 superfamily, is a transmembrane protein comprising an N- and C-terminal transmembrane region framing a large ectodomain [1]. SR-B1 is a lipoprotein receptor and interacts e.g., with high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and promotes the uptake of cholesterol esters to the liver and steroidogenic tissues by oligomerization in the membrane and formation of a channel [2]. The multifunctional glycoprotein also acts as the initial attachment receptor for the hepatitis C virus (HCV), either via 1) a direct interaction between the hypervariable region 1 of the major HCV glycoprotein E2 and SR-B1, or 2) an effect of SR-B1 activity on high-density lipoproteins (HDL) associated to infectious HCV particles [3]. Our goal is to gain insights into the role of SR-B1 in HCV entry using structural virology approaches combined with fluorescent imaging.