In addition to infectious viral particles, hepatitis B virus-replicating cells secrete large amounts of subviral particles assembled by the surface proteins, but lacking any capsid and genome. Subviral particles form spheres (22-nm particles) and filaments. Filaments contain a much larger amount of the large surface protein (LHBs) compared to spheres. Spheres are released via the constitutive secretory pathway, while viral particles are ESCRT-dependently released via multivesicular bodies (MVBs). The interaction of virions with the ESCRT machinery is mediated by ␣-taxilin that connects the viral surface protein LHBs with the ESCRT component tsg101. Since filaments in contrast to spheres contain a significant amount of LHBs, it is unclear whether filaments are released like spheres or like virions. To study the release of subviral particles in the absence of virion formation, a core-deficient HBV mutant was generated. Confocal microscopy, immune electron microscopy of ultrathin sections and isolation of MVBs revealed that filaments enter MVBs. Inhibition of MVB biogenesis by the small-molecule inhibitor U18666A or inhibition of ESCRT functionality by coexpression of transdominant negative mutants (Vps4A, Vps4B, and CHMP3) abolishes the release of filaments while the secretion of spheres is not affected. These data indicate that in contrast to spheres which are secreted via the secretory pathway, filaments are released via ESCRT/MVB pathway like infectious viral particles.
IMPORTANCEThis study revises the current model describing the release of subviral particles by showing that in contrast to spheres, which are secreted via the secretory pathway, filaments are released via the ESCRT/MVB pathway like infectious viral particles. These data significantly contribute to a better understanding of the viral morphogenesis and might be helpful for the design of novel antiviral strategies.T he human hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a spherical particle, 42 nm in diameter, consisting of an outer envelope and an inner icosahedral nucleocapsid. The nucleocapsid is formed by the core protein and harbors the viral genomic DNA. The HBV genome encodes at least four different open reading frames, coding for the viral polymerase, the core and the e antigen (HBcAg and HBeAg), the regulatory X protein (HBx), and the three different surface proteins (HBsAg): the large HBV surface protein (LHBs), the middle surface protein (MHBs) and the small surface protein (SHBs) (1). LHBs encompasses the PreS1 domain, the PreS2 domain, and the S domain, MHBs consists of the PreS2 and the S domain, and SHBs contains the S domain. These surface proteins are not only constitutive components of the envelope of viral particles but also assemble to capsid-free subviral particles lacking any viral genome having the shape of spheres and filaments (2) that are secreted in 1,000-to 100,000-fold excess relative to infectious viral particles. SHBs, the predominant part of these subviral particles, can assemble to 22-nm spherical particles. The incorporation ...