DNA and DNA polymerase of a virus-like particle in hepatitis B

One of the particulate forms bearing hepatitis B antigen in human blood, the 42 nm Dane particle, has been shown to contain a small circular-stranded DNA with a molecular weight round 1.6 X 10(6) daltons and a DNA polymerase. The circular DNA functions as a primer-template for the DNA polymerase. The circular DNA, the DNA polymerase and the DNA product of the enzyme reaction appear to be internal components of the 28 nm core of the Dane particle. Dane particle cores labeled with H3 in a DNA polymerase reaction have been used in a sensitive double antibody precipitation assay for the antibody against core.