This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Meyers, M L Articles by Sninsky, J J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Meyers, M L Articles by Sninsky, J J

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Virol. 1986 January; 57(1): 101-109

Hepatitis B virus polypeptide X: expression in Escherichia coli and identification of specific antibodies in sera from hepatitis B virus-infected humans.

ABSTRACT

Sequence analysis of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome revealed the presence of an open reading frame (ORF X) which has the potential to encode a 154-amino acid polypeptide. A fusion protein containing 145 of the amino acids encoded by ORF X and 8 amino acids of beta-galactosidase was expressed and characterized in bacterial extracts. Immunoprecipitations with the ORF X fusion protein as a radioactively labeled antigen were performed to screen sera of humans infected with HBV for the presence of antibodies against ORF X-encoded determinants (anti-X). Such antibodies were identified in 9 samples from a set of 26 sera characterized as positive for HBV surface antigen but were not found in 16 normal human sera. The data reported here demonstrate that sera from some patients with markers of HBV infection contain antibodies directed against the polypeptide encoded by ORF X. As such, these findings represent evidence that ORF X constitutes a gene, or a portion of a gene, which is expressed during HBV infection. Although there does not appear to be a direct relationship between anti-X and any individual markers of HBV infection, our data suggest that anti-X is more prevalent in HBV-positive sera containing antibodies to HBe3 antigen (anti-HBe3).

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Hwang, G.-Y., Lin, C.-Y., Huang, L.-M., Wang, Y.-H., Wang, J.-C., Hsu, C.-T., Yang, S.-S., Wu, C.-C. (2003). Detection of the Hepatitis B Virus X Protein (HBx) Antigen and Anti-HBx Antibodies in Cases of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 5598-5603 [Abstract] [Full Text]