Hepatic steatosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are common and serious features of
hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and the core protein has been shown to play distinct roles
in the pathogenesis. Here we report the direct interaction of HCV core protein with retinoid X
receptor α (RXRα), a transcriptional regulator that controls many aspects of cell proliferation,
differentiation, and lipid metabolism. The core protein binds to the DNA-binding domain of
RXRα, leading to increase the DNA binding of RXRα to its responsive element. In addition …