[Hepatitis B virus genotypes and the heterogeneity of its polymerase gene].
OBJECTIVE
To study the heterogeneity of polymerase gene (P gene) within hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes based on a systematic analysis of 202 HBV P genes, providing some useful references for further studies on the relationship among HBV genotypes, P gene mutations, replication and nucleoside analogues drug-resistance.


METHODS
202 HBV complete sequences containing P genes were obtained from GenBank and were analysed using computer softwares.


RESULTS
There were some genotype-related characteristics of HBV P genes. As reverse transcriptase domain was concerned, there were more amino acid divergences in genotype C and D compared with these in genotype A. There were also amino acid substitutions in the A-F conserved regions of the reverse transcriptase domain within and between HBV genotypes.


CONCLUSIONS
There are divergences of P genes and amino acids within and between HBV genotypes, which should be considered when amino acid changes are analyzed whether they are proposed to be drug-resistance mutations or the results from quasispecies-selected. Moreover, these divergences may affect the antiviral effect of nucleoside analogues on HBV with different genotypes.
Zeng
Guo-bing
GB
Department of Infectious Diseases, Nafang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Wen
Shu-juan
SJ
Sun
Jian
J
Guo
Ze-yan
ZY
Wang
Zhan-hui
ZH
Luo
Kang-xian
KX
Yan
Li
L
Hou
Jin-lin
JL
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics*; D015684:Gene Products, pol / Q000235:genetics; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010802:Phylogeny
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015684:Gene Products, pol; C066027:P protein, Hepatitis B virus; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase