[Antigenicity of major hydrophilic region II of hepatitis B virus surface antigen].
OBJECTIVE
To study whether the substitutions at the major hydrophilic region II (MHRII) of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) will impair the antigenicity of HBsAg.


METHODS
Four recombinant plasmids expressing mutant HBsAg (mtHBsAg) P1120T, C121S, K122I and T123N were constructed. HepG2 cells were transfected with the four plasmids and a plasmid expressing G145R HBsAg. The immunoreactivity of the cells expressing mtHBsAg with P1120T, C121S, K122I, T123N and G145R were detected by immunofluorescence (IF) staining and ELISA with 4 antibodies and 7 HBsAg diagnostic kits respectively.


RESULTS
mtHBsAg with P120T was recognized by mAb1 and mAb2. mtHBsAg with C121S and K122I was not recognized by any mAbs. mtHBsAg with T123N in lysates was recognized by mAb2, but not recognized in the supernatants.


CONCLUSIONS
Substitutions at amino acid positions 120-123 of HBsAg strongly impaired the antigenicity of HBsAg, a fact that was not appreciated previously.
Tian
Yong-jun
YJ
Division of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Zhang
Zheng-mao
ZM
Xia
Chang
C
Liu
Shen-pei
SP
Yu
Yuan
Y
Huang
Hong-ping
HP
Yang
Yan
Y
Lu
Meng-ji
MJ
Yang
Dong-liang
DL
D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000940:Antigenic Variation; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D010957:Plasmids; D014162:Transfection
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens