Quantitative Lipid Droplet Proteome Analysis Identifies Annexin A3 as a Cofactor for HCV Particle Production

Cytosolic lipid droplets (LDs) are vital to Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection as the putative sites of virion assembly. To identify novel regulators of HCV particle production, we performed quantitative LD proteome analysis. Huh7.5 cells were labeled by stable isotope labeling with heavy amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) and subsequently infected with an HCV Jc1 reporter virus. After selection for HCV-infected cells, equal amounts of HCV-infected and uninfected control cells were mixed, LDs were isolated and analyzed by LC-ESI-MS/MS.