Properties of hepatitis B e antigen synthesized by rat cells transfected with circular viral DNA.

Transfection of Buffalo rat liver cells with closed circular hepatitis B virus DNA resulted in the synthesis of both hepatitis B e and surface antigens. A 14000 mol. wt. peptide bearing hepatitis B e antigenic determinants was isolated from cell culture fluids. Native hepatitis B e antigen was present in multimeric forms in the cell culture fluids and was associated with protein phosphokinase activity. The multimeric forms of hepatitis B e antigen may serve both structural and enzymic functions for the hepatitis B virion with its small genome.