Hepatitis virus envelope

Abstract Hepatitis B virus HBV is unusual in that its surface proteins small [S], medium, and large [L] are not only incorporated into the virion envelope but they also bud into empty subviral particles in great excess over virions. Publication types Research Support, Non-U. Cells infected with recombinant adenovirus which contained the middle envelope gene HS2. HP expressed and secreted the middle and major envelope proteins in a molar ratio of Cells infected with the recombinant adenovirus which contained the major envelope gene HS.

Publication types Research Support, Non-U. Gov't Review. Taken together, these results indicate that E1E2 heterodimers form trimers on HCV particles, and they support the hypothesis that E1 could be a fusion protein. Importance: HCV glycoproteins E1 and E2 play an essential role in virus entry into liver cells as well as in virion morphogenesis. In infected cells, these two proteins form a complex in which E2 interacts with cellular receptors, whereas the function of E1 remains poorly understood.

However, recent structural data suggest that E1 could be the protein responsible for the process of fusion between viral and cellular membranes.