Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Surface Functionalization of Hepatitis E Virus Nanoparticles Using Chemical Conjugation Methods
Published on: May 11, 2018
Posttranslational N-glycosylation of the hepatitis B virus large envelope protein
Carsten Lambert1, Reinhild Prange
1Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Mainz, Augustusplatz, Mainz, Germany. lambert@uni-mainz.de
Background:
The addition of N-linked glycans to proteins is normally a cotranslational process that occurs during translocation of the nascent protein to the endoplasmic reticulum. Here, we report on an exception to this rule occurring on the hepatitis B virus (HBV) large L envelope protein that is a subject to co-plus posttranslational N-glycosylation.
Results:
By using an improved detection system, we identified so far unrecognized, novel isoforms of L. Based on mutational analyses, the use of N-glycosylation inhibitors, and pulse-chase studies, we showed that these isoforms are due to posttranslational N-glycan addition to the asparagines 4 and 112 within the preS domain of L. While an inhibition of N-glycosylation and glycan trimming profoundly blocked virus assembly and release, the posttranslational N-glycosylation of L itself was found to be dispensable for HBV morphogenesis.
Conclusion:
These data together with previous results implicate that the N-glycosylation requirements of virion release are due to functional inhibition of cell glycoproteins engaged by HBV.
Related Concept Videos
Hepatitis
Protein Glycosylation
Glycosylation occurs in...
Leaky Scanning
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction
Conjugated Proteins
Nucleoproteins are protein complexes that contain nucleic acids, categorized as deoxyribonucleoproteins (DNPs) or ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) respectively. The nucleosome is a typical example of a DNP where nuclear DNA is associated with histone proteins. The major antigen for the Covid-19 virus SARS-CoV is an RNP that is critical...

