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J. Virol., 07 1996, 4269-4274, Vol 70, No. 7
T Gerelsaikhan, JE Tavis and V Bruss
Assembly of the enveloped hepatitis B virus (HBV) is initiated by packaging
of the RNA pregenome and the viral reverse transcriptase-DNA polymerase
into a nucleocapsid. The pregenome is then reverse transcribed into
single-stranded minus-polarity DNA, which is subsequently replicated to
double-stranded DNA. All replicative intermediates are observable in
capsids within infected liver, but only relatively mature nucleocapsids
containing partially double stranded DNA are found in secreted virions.
This observation suggests that maturation of the genome within the capsid
is required for envelopment and secretion. We show that the differential
distribution of replicative intermediates between intracellular
nucleocapsids and secreted virions is also observable in human hepatoma
cells transfected with wild-type HBV genomes. However, nucleocapsids were
not enveloped or secreted when they were produced by an HBV genome carrying
a missense mutation in the DNA polymerase that eliminates all DNA
synthesis. An HBV missense mutant defective in the RNase H activity of the
polymerase which allowed minus-strand DNA synthesis but not formation of
double-stranded DNA was able to form virion-like particles. These
experiments demonstrate that immature nucleocapsids containing pregenomic
RNA are incompetent for envelopment and that minus-strand DNA synthesis in
the interior lumen of the capsid is coupled to the appearance of a signal
on the exterior of the nucleocapsid that is essential for its envelopment.
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology
Hepatitis B virus nucleocapsid envelopment does not occur without genomic DNA synthesis
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Gottingen, Germany.
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