Back to Search Start Over

Mosaic hepatitis B virus core particles presenting the complete preS sequence of the viral envelope on their surface

Authors :
Dace Skrastina
Larisa Kovalevska
Svetlana Cvetkova
Irina Sominskaya
Andris Kazaks
Galina Borisova
Velta Ose
Andris Dislers
Paul Pumpens
Source :
Journal of General Virology. 85:2665-2670
Publication Year :
2004
Publisher :
Microbiology Society, 2004.

Abstract

The sequence of the preS domain of the hepatitis B virus (HBV, genotype D) envelope was inserted into the major immunodominant region (MIR) of the C-terminally truncated HBV core (HBc) protein. In Escherichia coli, the HBc–preS fusion protein was partially soluble and did not produce particles. Co-expression of the wild-type HBc as a helper protein along with the fusion protein led to the formation of mosaic HBc particles that exhibited HBc, preS1 and preS2 antigenicity. Two alternative combinations of medium- and high-copy plasmids were used for co-expression of fusion and helper proteins, in an attempt to improve mosaic particle production. However, the preS fusion content of the particles remained the same in both expression combinations. In a third co-expression in which the modified HBc helper lacked aa 76–85 in the MIR, the incorporation level of HBc–preS fusion into the particles was noticeably lower. Purified chimeric particles were immunogenic in mice.

Details

ISSN :
14652099 and 00221317
Volume :
85
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of General Virology
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....71b9a571d9910617f18669b008e8fbec
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.79810-0