title: Naturally occurring hepatitis B virus mutants with deletions in the core promoter region.
abstract: A novel class of hepatitis B virus mutants in patients with chronic hepatitis B is described. The predicted effect of the mutations is to disrupt the X open reading frame. The location of the genetic alterations within the putative precore promoter also suggests that they may ameliorate precore transcription, which would provide an alternate mechanism for HBeAg(-) escape variation. Definitive conclusions regarding the effects of these mutations must await additional in vitro and in vivo studies.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laskus
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rakela
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nowicki
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mosley
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Persing
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014758:Viral Core Proteins