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Research in Chronic Viral Hepatitis pp 43–52Cite as

Molecular basis of the diversity of hepatitis B virus core-gene products

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Part of the book series: Archives of Virology Supplementum ((ARCHIVES SUPPL,volume 8))

Summary

All hepatitis B viruses examined to date code for at least two different core-gene products which are referred to as the c- and the e-protein. In the case of the human hepatitis B virus, they are known as the HBcAg and the HBeAg. Although these proteins share most of their primary amino acid sequence, they exhibit quite distinct properties. The e-protein is located in the cytoplasm and the nucleus of infected cells and very efficiently assembles into nucleocapsids. By contrast, the e-protein does not form particles. It enters the secretory pathway and is actively secreted by the cells. Here we describe the biosynthetic pathways by which the c- and e-proteins are expressed and summarize recent data from our laboratory showing that the antigenic and biophysical properties which distinguish the HBeAg from the HBcAg are primarily due to the 10 amino acid long portion of the HBeAg leader sequence that remains attached to the HBeAg after cleavage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Virology, University of Ulm, Albert Einstein Allee 11, D-89081, Ulm, Federal Republic of Germany

    Dr. H.-J. Schlicht, G. Wasenauer & J. Köck

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  1. Dr. H.-J. Schlicht
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  2. G. Wasenauer
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  3. J. Köck
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Medizinische Virologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Federal Republic of Germany

    W. H. Gerlich

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© 1993 Springer-Verlag

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Schlicht, HJ., Wasenauer, G., Köck, J. (1993). Molecular basis of the diversity of hepatitis B virus core-gene products. In: Gerlich, W.H. (eds) Research in Chronic Viral Hepatitis. Archives of Virology Supplementum, vol 8. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-9312-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-9312-9_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-82497-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-9312-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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