The true story and advantages of the famous Hepatitis B virus core particles: Outlook 2016

This review article is a continuation of the paper “Hepatitis B core particles as a universal display model: a structure-function basis for development” written by Pumpens P. and Grens E., ordered by Professor Lev Kisselev and published in FEBS Letters, 1999, 442, 1–6. The past 17 years have strengt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular Biology 2016-07, Vol.50 (4), p.489-509
Main Authors: Pumpens, P., Grens, E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atoms & subatomic particles
Biochemistry
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Hepadnaviridae
Hepatitis
Hepatitis B virus
Human Genetics
Immunology
Life Sciences
Proteins
Reviews
Woodchuck hepatitis virus
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Summary:This review article is a continuation of the paper “Hepatitis B core particles as a universal display model: a structure-function basis for development” written by Pumpens P. and Grens E., ordered by Professor Lev Kisselev and published in FEBS Letters, 1999, 442, 1–6. The past 17 years have strengthened the paper’s finding that the human hepatitis B virus core protein, along with other Hepadnaviridae family member core proteins, is a mysterious, multifunctional protein. The core gene of the Hepadnaviridae genome encodes five partially collinear proteins. The most important of these is the HBV core protein p21, or HBc. It can self-assemble by forming viral HBc particles, but also plays a crucial role in the regulation of viral replication. Since 1986, the HBc protein has been one of the first and the most successful tools of the virus-like particle (VLP) technology. Later, the woodchuck hepatitis virus core protein (WHc) was also used as a VLP carrier. The Hepadnaviridae core proteins remain favourite VLP candidates for the knowledge-based design of future vaccines, gene therapy vectors, specifically targeted nanocontainers, and other modern nanotechnological tools for prospective medical use.
ISSN:0026-8933
1608-3245
DOI:10.1134/S0026893316040099