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J Virol. 1974 December; 14(6): 1552-1558
Copyright © 1974 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Hepatitis B Core Antigen: Immunology and Electron Microscopy

Lewellys F. Barker, June D. Almeida, Jay H. Hoofnagle, Robert J. Gerety, Daniel R. Jackson and Philip P. McGrath

Division of Blood and Blood Products, Bureau of Biologics, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland
Wellcome Research Laboratories, Beckenham, Kent, England

ABSTRACT

Two distinct viral antigens are associated with the hepatitis B virus: the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg, Australia antigen) and the hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg). HBsAg, purified from the serum of asymptomatic human HBsAg carriers, and HBcAg, purified from the liver of a chimpanzee acutely infected with hepatitis B virus, were examined by serological and immune electron microscopic methods. Antisera raised against HBsAg reacted with the outer, surface component of the Dane particle and with the 20-nm spherical and tubular particles present in HBsAg-positive serum, but not with the internal component of the Dane particle or with purified HBcAg particles. Antisera raised against purified HBcAg particles reacted with the internal component of the Dane particle and with HBcAg, but not with the surface of the Dane particle or with the 20-nm spherical and tubular particles associated with HBsAg. Purified HBcAg particles, 27 nm in diameter, demonstrated distinct subunits. The infectious form of hepatitis B virus appears to be represented by the 42-nm Dane particle composed of a 27-nm nucleocapsid core component (HBcAg) surrounded by an antigenically and morphologically distinct lipoprotein surface component (HBsAg).

J Virol. 1974 December; 14(6): 1552-1558
Copyright © 1974 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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Copyright © 1974 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.