[Hepatitis B vaccine: characterization of the polypeptides of hepatitis B surface antigen (author's transl)]

In order to realize a new kind of hepatitis B vaccine, the polypeptide components of the outer-coat of the hepatitis B virus have been studied. The characterization of the polypeptides of purified hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was performed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Seven polypeptides were observed, designated P1 to P7, according to their increasing molecular weight: P1 (MW = 24,000), P2 (MW = 32,500) and P6 (MW = 78,000) represented the major components. When the reducing action was increased and followed by alkylation and citraconylation, a single polypeptide of low MW (5,000 less than MW less than 10,000) was isolated from HBsAg.