title: Determination of the minimal distance between the matrix and transmembrane domains of the large hepatitis B virus envelope protein.
abstract: The cytosolic matrix domain (MD) located between amino acids (aa) 103 and 124 of the large hepatitis B virus envelope protein L is essential for virion formation. We reduced the distance between MD and the transmembrane domain (TD; aa 254 to 272) by deletions starting at aa 132. Six mutants with deletions of up to aa 234 were wild type, and four mutants with slightly larger deletions were blocked with respect to virion morphogenesis. Thus, the minimal distance between MD and TD was around 26 aa. This spacer might be required by MD to reach contact sites on the capsid.
authors.affiliation: University of Göttingen, Department of Virology, Kreuzbergring 57, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany. vbruss@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kluge
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schläger
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pairan
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bruss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000378:metabolism*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014771:Virion / Q000378:metabolism*; D019065:Virus Assembly
chemical_list: D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins