Vaccinia virus (VV) recombinants expressing hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface (HBsAg) or core (HBcAg) antigens (Kunke et al., Virology 195, 132 - 139 (1993)] have been shown to raise specific antibodies in mice, nevertheless the levels of antibodies reactive with the preS2 and S antigens were low. In an attempt to enhance the immunogenicity of HBsAg-preS2, a fused C-preS2 gene was constructed. The fusion protein was expressed in E. coli and displayed both HBcAg and preS2 antigen as demonstrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The same gene was then expressed using recombinant VV and chimerical particles whose size and density were similar to those of native HBV core particles produced in CV-1 cells infected with recombinant VV. Unlike HBcAg, preS2 antigen could not be detected on these particles by ELISA but was revealed by immunoblot analysis only. The immunogenicity of the recombinant VV was evaluated in mice. Antibodies to HBcAg and VV antigen but not to preS2 antigen were found in sera of animals inoculated with 10(7) PFU of the recombinant VV. Presumably, HBcAg-preS2 particles produced in E. coli and in eukaryotic cells have a different conformation, and the presence of preS2 antigen on the surface of chimerical particle might be necessary for a pronounced antibody response.
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Antiviral Res
January 2025
Department of Infectious Diseases, Research Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China. Electronic address:
Background: Recent evidence has indicated that the O-glycosylated PreS2 domain of the middle HBsAg is a distinguishing characteristic that allows the identification of HBsAg of HBV Dane particles and SVPs. This study's objective was to assess the changes in serum O-glycosylated HBsAg levels in CHB patients undergoing ETV or Peg-IFNα treatment.
Methods: Our retrospective study enrolled 86 patients with genotype C CHB.
Vaccine
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VBI Vaccines Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA. Electronic address:
mSphere
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Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
Unlabelled: A cell culture system that allows the reproduction of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) life cycle is indispensable to exploring novel anti-HBV agents. To establish the screening system for anti-HBV agents, we exploited the high affinity and bright luminescence (HiBiT) tag and comprehensively explored the regions in the HBV genome where the HiBiT tag could be inserted. The plasmids for the HiBiT-tagged HBV molecular clones with a 1.
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Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major health threat with limited treatment options. One of various new antiviral strategies is based on a fusion of nuclease (SN) with the capsid-forming HBV core protein (HBc), termed coreSN. Through co-assembly with wild-type HBc-subunits, the fusion protein is incorporated into HBV nucleocapsids, targeting the nuclease to the encapsidated viral genome.
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Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
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