Effects of cellular membranes and the precore protein on hepatitis B virus core particle assembly and DNA replication.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core particle is critical for the transport and replication of the viral DNA genome. By characterizing HBV core particles in different subcellular compartments, we found that when the HBV core protein was expressed by itself, it formed core particles with a uniform and fast mobility on a non-denaturing agarose gel. However, when the core protein was expressed from a replication-competent 1.3mer HBV genome, it formed particles with more heterogeneous structures. The presence of the precore protein, a protein related to the core protein, led to the formation of chimeric particles in the cytoplasm that consisted of both precore and core proteins. When the precore protein was expressed by itself, it could also form particulate structures in association with cellular RNA

SUBMITTER: Chuang Y-C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11980540 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature