Hepatitis B virus (HBV) particles are generated by budding of preformed cytoplasmic nucleocapsids into endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes containing the three viral envelope proteins (L, M, and S). We have examined the contributions of the envelope proteins to virion assembly by using cultured hepatoma cells transfected with mutant HBV genomes bearing lesions in the envelope coding regions. We show here that HBV nucleocapsids are not released from cells without expression ofenvelope proteins, implying an active role for these proteins in viral morphogenesis. S and L but not M proteins are necessary for virion production. L protein overexpression inhibits virion release, just as it inhibits the release of subviral hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) particles. Mutant L proteins that are no longer capable of retaining HBsAg particles in the ER still allow virion formation, indicating that this ER retention reaction is not requlired for viral budding. Myristoylation of L protein is also dispensable for virion formation. A chimeric protein bearing foreign epitopes fused to the S protein can be incorporated into virions when coexpressed with the wild-type envelope proteins. Models for the dependence of virion formation on both L and S proteins are discussed.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) particle consists of an envelope containing three related surface proteins and probably lipid and an icosahedral nucleocapsid of approximately 30 nm diameter enclosing the viral DNA genome and DNA polymerase. The capsid is formed in the cytosol of the infected cell during packaging of an RNA pregenome replication complex by multiple copies of a 21-kDa C protein. The capsid gains the ability to bud during synthesis of the viral DNA genome by reverse transcription of the pregenome in the lumen of the particle. The three envelope proteins S, M, and L shape a complex transmembrane fold at the endoplasmic reticulum, and form disulfide-linked homoand heterodimers. The transmembrane topology of a fraction of the large envelope protein L changes posttranslationally, therefore, the N terminal domain of L (preS) finally appears on both sides of the membrane. During budding at an intracellular membrane, a short linear domain in the cytosolic preS region interacts with binding sites on the capsid surface. The virions are subsequently secreted into the blood. In addition, the surface proteins can bud in the absence of capsids and form subviral lipoprotein particles of 20 nm diameter which are also secreted.

The preS domain at the N‐terminus of the large envelope protein (LHBs) of the hepatitis B virus is involved in (i) envelopment of viral nucleocapsids and (ii) binding to the host cell. While the first function suggests a cytosolic location of the preS domain during virion assembly, the function as an attachment site requires its translocation across the lipid bilayer and final exposure on the virion surface. We compared the transmembrane topology of newly synthesized LHBs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane with its topology in the envelope of secreted virions. Protease sensitivity and the absence of glycosylation suggest that the entire preS domain of newly synthesized LHBs remains at the cytosolic side of ER vesicles. However, virions secreted from transfected cell cultures or isolated from the blood of persistent virus carriers expose antibody binding sites and proteolytic cleavage sites of the preS domain at their surface in approximately half of the LHBs molecules. Thus, preS domains appear to be transported across the viral lipid barrier by a novel post‐translational translocation mechanism to fulfil a dual function in virion assembly and attachment to the host cell.

The crystal structure of recombinant hepatitis B virus (HBV) capsids formed by 240 core proteins has recently been published. We wanted to map sites on the surface of the icosahedral 35-nm particle that are important for nucleocapsid envelopment by HBV surface proteins during virion morphogenesis. For this purpose, we individually mutated 52 amino acids (aa) within the N-terminal 140 aa of the 185-aa long core protein displaying their side chains to the external surface of the capsid to alanine residues. The phenotype of the mutations with respect to virion formation was tested by transcomplementation of a core gene-negative HBV genome in transiently cotransfected cells, immunoprecipitation of nucleocapsids from cells and secreted virions from culture media, and detection of the particles by radioactive endogenous polymerase reactions. Thirteen point mutations impeded nucleocapsid detection by endogenous polymerase reactions. Twenty-seven mutations were compatible with virion formation. Among these were all capsid-forming mutations in the upper half of the spike protruding from the particle shell and two additional triple mutations at tip of the spike. Eleven mutations (S17, F18, L60, L95, K96, F122, I126, R127, N136, A137, and I139) allowed nucleocapsid formation but blocked particle envelopment and virion formation to undetectable levels. These mutations map to a ring-like groove around the base of the spike and to a small area at the capsid surface close to the pores in the capsid shell. These residues are candidate sites for the interaction with envelope proteins during virion morphogenesis. Different mechanisms have evolved by which enveloped viruses acquire their outer cover (7). For togaviruses (22) and hepadnaviruses (3) it is postulated that preformed cytosolic nucleocapsids bind directly to cytosolic endodomains of transmembrane envelope proteins and that this binding is an essential step during the budding of nucleocapsids through a cellular membrane and the concomitant envelopment of the capsid. For the human hepatitis B virus (HBV), the prototype of the family Hepadnaviridae comprising small hepatotrophic DNA viruses replicating by reverse transcription (6), the main evidence supporting this model is deduced from the phenotypic characterization of mutations in structural genes causing defects in nucleocapsid envelopment (19).HBV has three envelope proteins (large [L], middle [M], and small [S]), which are expressed from three staggered start sites of a single 1,200-bp open reading frame (9) of the viral 3.2-kb DNA genome. They traverse the membrane multiple times and form homo-and heterodimers with each other (27). The envelope proteins not only are incorporated into the outer shell of virions but also form spherical and filamentous subviral lipoprotein particles half the diameter of the virion (20-nm particles) which are released from virus-producing cells in large excess over virions. The L and S proteins are essential for virion formation (4). Two regions in endodomains of these proteins have bee...

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