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Related Experiment Videos

Hepatitis B small surface antigen particles are octahedral.

Robert J C Gilbert1, Lucy Beales, Donatienne Blond

  • 1Division of Structural Biology, Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|October 6, 2005
PubMed
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Researchers used cryo-EM to study hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) particles. They discovered these particles, crucial in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, assemble through conformational switching of HBsAg dimers.

Area of Science:

  • Structural Biology
  • Virology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) Dane particles are infectious virions composed of an outer HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) layer and an inner core antigen (HBcAg) structure.
  • During chronic HBV infection, excess noninfectious HBsAg forms spherical particles and tubules, approximately 22 nm in diameter.
  • Understanding the assembly of these HBsAg particles is crucial for developing antiviral strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the high-resolution structure of spherical HBsAg particles.
  • To elucidate the assembly mechanism of HBsAg particles and their relationship to Dane particle formation.

Main Methods:

  • Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) was employed to reconstruct spherical HBsAg particles.
  • Reconstructions were achieved at an approximate resolution of 12 Å.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis focused on identifying particle symmetry and the arrangement of the HBsAg building blocks.

    • Main Results:

    • Two predominant populations of spherical HBsAg particles were identified, both exhibiting octahedral symmetry.
    • Despite variations in diameter, these particle populations share the same mass.
    • The particles are assembled from a common building block, a dimer of HBsAg, which undergoes conformational switching.

    Conclusions:

    • Conformational switching of HBsAg dimers, coupled with interactions with the underlying core, dictates the size and formation of HBV Dane particles.
    • This mechanism provides insight into the structural variability of HBsAg particles observed during chronic hepatitis B infection.
    • The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of HBV assembly and potential therapeutic targets.