Mutations in the envelope gene of hepatitis B virus variants co-occurring with antibody to surface antigen in sera from patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Three clones of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA were propagated from sera of each of five patients with chronic hepatitis B who possessed hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to HBsAg in their serum. The clones were sequenced within the envelope gene (the preS1, preS2 regions and the S gene). Clones from four patients had various missense mutations involving codons 124-147 of the S-gene which encode amino acids in the loop structures that form the conformational, common antigenic determinant of HBsAg. Clones from three patients had Asn-130 (Gly in the wild-type), which generated a potential N-glycosylation site, Asn-Thr-Ser, spanning amino acids 130-132 of the S-gene product. In addition, clones from one patient had Arg-145 (Gly in the wild-type), which has been reported in escape mutants of HBV. One of the three clones from another patient had Ser-126 in place of lle or Thr in wild-type HBV, but the remaining two had no mutations known to affect expression of the common determinant of HBsAg. The remaining patient possessed HBsAg of subtype adr and anti-HBs specific for the w determinant. Clones from this patient did not reveal any mutations which are known to affect the common antigenic determinant of HBsAg.
Kohno
H
H
First Department of Internal Medicine, Yamanashi Medical University, Japan.
Inoue
T
T
Tsuda
F
F
Okamoto
H
H
Akahane
Y
Y
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001483:Base Sequence; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017354:Point Mutation; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C050806:presurface protein 1, hepatitis B surface antigen; C050807:presurface protein 2, hepatitis B surface antigen