Properties of Hepatitis B e Antigen Synthesized by Rat Cells Transfected with Circular Viral DNA

Abstract

SUMMARYTransfection of Buffalo rat liver cells with closed circular hepatitis B virus DNA resulted in the synthesis of both hepatitis B e and surface antigens. A 14000 tool. wt. peptide bearing hepatitis B e antigenic determinants was isolated from cell culture fluids. Native hepatitis B e antigen was present in multimeric forms in the cell culture fluids and was associated with protein phosphokinase activity. The multimeric forms of hepatitis B e antigen may serve both structural and enzymic functions for the hepatitis B virion with its small genome.

DNA-binding activity of hepatitis B e antigen polypeptide lacking the protaminelike sequence of nucleocapsid protein of human hepatitis B virus

“…In later experiments, it was demonstrated that this enzyme activity was * Corresponding author. still conserved even in an HBeAg polypeptide with an MW of 14,000 (27). To determine the further biological functions of HBeAg, we examined the DNA-binding activity of HBeAg as well as of HBcAg.…”