Hepatitis B virus genes and their expression in E. coli

Abstract

A composite DNA sequence of regions of hepatitis B virus, determined from a series of recombinant plasmids, reveals the genes for the surface antigen and the core antigen of the virus. The sequence of the core antigen shows it to be a DNA binding protein. The core antigen gene is expressed in Escherichia coli and when injected into rabbits the bacterial product induces antibodies which react with core antigen isolated from human sources.

Physicochemical analysis of the hepatitis B virus core antigen produced by a baculovirus expression vector

“…As shown by the expression of the core protein gene in suitable vectors (Pasek et al, 1979;Takehara et al, 1988), cores may assemble in the absence of HBsAg, the viral DNA or the viral polymerase components. Since the baculovirus-expressed core particles exhibit sizes and antigenic properties similar to those derived from human sources (Takehara et al, 1988), an analysis has been undertaken of their physicochemical properties.…”

Comparative Expression of the Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Gene in Biochemically Transformed Human, Simian and Murine Cells

“…The HBs Ag gene transcription unit covers approximately 2700 bp of the HBV genome (Pasek et al, 1979). The major HBs Ag transcript depends on a promoter located in the pre-S region.…”

Structural Analysis of Animal Virus Genomes: The Fifth Fleming Lecture

“…Beginning in 1975, a trickle of adenovirus DNA sequence data has by now increased to a continuingflood (Steenbergh et aL, 1975;Arrand & Roberts, 1979;Akusj~irvi & Pettersson, 1979;Herisse et aL, 1980;van Ormondt et aL, 1980). In 1979 the hepatitis B virus genome sequence was published, as deduced from cloned DNA fragments (Charnay et al, 1979;Pasek et al, 1979;Valenzuela et al, 1979). There are now appearing fairly large amounts of sequence data on retroviruses, as DNAs (Czernilofsky et aL, 1980;Sutcliffe et aL, 1980).…”