Large hepatitis B surface antigen polypeptides of Dane particles with the receptor for polymerized human serum albumin.

Large hepatitis B surface antigen polypeptides with apparent molecular sizes of 39,000 and 43,000 daltons (P39 and P43) were liberated from a purified preparation of Dane particles of subtype adr. They were tested for reactivity with monoclonal antibodies raised against three synthetic oligopeptides representing fundamental sequences of the pre-S region in deoxyribonucleic acid of hepatitis B virus (subtype adr), as well as with monoclonal antibody against the major surface antigen polypeptide (P22) coded for by the S gene. Both P39 and its glycosylated form P43 bound to all four monoclonal antibodies, thereby indicating that they were coded for by the sequence of 1200 nucleotides, from the second ATG codon in the pre-S region to the stop codon of the S gene. Both P39 and P43 bound to polymerized human and chimpanzee albumins, but not to polymerized albumin from species without susceptibility to hepatitis B virus. Due to their presence in Dane particles and the expression of a polyalbumin receptor, the immune responses against P39 and P43 may have significance in infection with hepatitis B virus and its immunoprophylaxis.