Hepatitis B virus gene expression in transgenic mice.

In order to study aspects of the biology and pathogenesis of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), not readily approachable by existing tissue culture systems and animal models, several groups have introduced the HBV genome and subgenomic fragments into the germ line of transgenic mice. Substantial new information has been forthcoming from these studies in several areas including tissue-specific expression, hormonal regulation, sex influences, viral replication and disease pathogenesis. These developments are reviewed in the context of the genetic organization and functional properties of the virus and its gene products, and their implications with respect to HBV biology and pathogenesis are discussed.