In vitro and in silico analyses of amino acid substitution effects at the conserved N-linked glycosylation site in hepatitis B virus surface protein on antigenicity, immunogenicity, HBV replication and secretion.

The "a" determinant, a highly conformational region within the hepatitis B virus large surface protein (LHBs), is crucial for antibody neutralization and diagnostic assays. Mutations in this area can lead to conformational changes, resulting in vaccination failure, diagnostic evasion, and disease progression. The "a" determinant of LHBs contains a conserved N-linked glycosylation site at N320, but the mechanisms of glycosylation in LHBs remain unclear.