The Journal of Immunology, Vol 130, Issue 6 2903-2907, Copyright © 1983 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Immunochemical structure of hepatitis B e antigen in the serum

K Takahashi, A Machida, G Funatsu, M Nomura, S Usuda, S Aoyagi, K Tachibana, H Miyamoto, M Imai, T Nakamura, Y Miyakawa and M Mayumi

Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) constitutes the nucleocapsid of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and occurs in association with plasma proteins, particularly with IgG, in the serum of persons infected with the virus. A polypeptide with an approximate m.w. of 15,500 (P15.5) is obtained either from HBeAg in the serum or from the nucleocapsid of HBV. P15.5 preparations from serum and virus resembled closely each other in the amino acid composition. The C-terminus amino acid sequence of P15.5 from serum was determined to be -Thr-Thr-Val-Val, whereas that from the virus ended with -Thr-Thr. The same sequence of four amino acid residues was found on the gene coding for the nucleopeptide of hepatitis B virus with a molecular size of 19,000 daltons (P19). P15.5 identified on the nucleotide sequence of P19 was composed of 149 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular size of 16,770 daltons. The gene coding for P19 had two -Asp-Pro-connections. By splitting these connections in P19 and P15.5 preparations with formic acid, smaller polypeptides were obtained with sizes predicted from the nucleotide sequence and with the N-terminus amino acid of proline as expected. One of two monoclonal antibodies raised against the core of Dane particles (HBcAg) bound with P15.5 preparations purified from serum and HBV. The IgG fraction from a human serum containing antibodies to HBcAg but not to HBeAg bound with P15.5 also. On the basis of the results obtained, the IgG molecules associated with P15.5 in the serum of persons infected with HBV may well represent the antibodies against HBcAg with limited specificities.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Kimura, N. Ohno, N. Terada, A. Rokuhara, A. Matsumoto, S. Yagi, E. Tanaka, K. Kiyosawa, S. Ohno, and N. Maki Hepatitis B Virus DNA-negative Dane Particles Lack Core Protein but Contain a 22-kDa Precore Protein without C-terminal Arginine-rich Domain J. Biol. Chem., June 10, 2005; 280(23): 21713 - 21719. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Ganem and A. M. Prince Hepatitis B Virus Infection -- Natural History and Clinical Consequences N. Engl. J. Med., March 11, 2004; 350(11): 1118 - 1129. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. M. Belnap, N. R. Watts, J. F. Conway, N. Cheng, S. J. Stahl, P. T. Wingfield, and A. C. Steven Diversity of core antigen epitopes of hepatitis B virus PNAS, September 16, 2003; 100(19): 10884 - 10889. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. F. Conway, N. R. Watts, D. M. Belnap, N. Cheng, S. J. Stahl, P. T. Wingfield, and A. C. Steven Characterization of a Conformational Epitope on Hepatitis B Virus Core Antigen and Quasiequivalent Variations in Antibody Binding J. Virol., June 1, 2003; 77(11): 6466 - 6473. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Kimura, A. Rokuhara, A. Matsumoto, S. Yagi, E. Tanaka, K. Kiyosawa, and N. Maki New Enzyme Immunoassay for Detection of Hepatitis B Virus Core Antigen (HBcAg) and Relation between Levels of HBcAg and HBV DNA J. Clin. Microbiol., May 1, 2003; 41(5): 1901 - 1906. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Messageot, S. Salhi, P. Eon, and J.-M. Rossignol Proteolytic Processing of the Hepatitis B Virus e Antigen Precursor. CLEAVAGE AT TWO FURIN CONSENSUS SEQUENCES J. Biol. Chem., January 3, 2003; 278(2): 891 - 895. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Kimura, A. Rokuhara, Y. Sakamoto, S. Yagi, E. Tanaka, K. Kiyosawa, and N. Maki Sensitive Enzyme Immunoassay for Hepatitis B Virus Core-Related Antigens and Their Correlation to Virus Load J. Clin. Microbiol., February 1, 2002; 40(2): 439 - 445. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. C. Gil-Torregrosa, A. Raul Castano, and M. Del  Val Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Viral Antigen Processing in the Secretory Pathway Defined by the trans-Golgi Network Protease Furin J. Exp. Med., September 21, 1998; 188(6): 1105 - 1116. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Seifer, R. Hamatake, M. Bifano, and D. N. Standring Generation of Replication-Competent Hepatitis B Virus Nucleocapsids in Insect Cells J. Virol., April 1, 1998; 72(4): 2765 - 2776. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Miller Proteolytic self-cleavage of hepatitis B virus core protein may generate serum e antigen Science, May 8, 1987; 236(4802): 722 - 725. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. Milich and A McLachlan The nucleocapsid of hepatitis B virus is both a T-cell-independent and a T-cell-dependent antigen Science, December 12, 1986; 234(4782): 1398 - 1401. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H Will, J Salfeld, E Pfaff, C Manso, L Theilmann, and H Schaler Putative reverse transcriptase intermediates of human hepatitis B virus in primary liver carcinomas Science, February 7, 1986; 231(4738): 594 - 596. [Abstract] [PDF]