Acta Univ Latv (2004) 676: 53–64

Subcellular localisation of internally deleted HBV core proteins

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants with core internal deletions were isolated from renal graft recipients in whom an association with end stage liver disease was observed. The aim of this work was evaluation of intracellular localisation of these HBV core variants with internal deletions. Infection of baby hamster kidney cell culture BHC-21 C13 with recombinant Semliki Forest viruses encoding the deleted variant and undeleted wild type HBV core (HBc) genes led to the detection of HBc protein within the nucleus only in the case of deletion variants. Deleted HBc protein in all probability may be partially unfolded, hence unstable. As a consequence, deleted HBc proteins are not part of HBV nucleocapsids, but are left unassembled and are able to cross the nuclear membrane. We suggest that the presence of deleted HBc proteins within the cell nucleus may be of pathogenic importance.