Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Biosynthesis of hepatitis B virus surface antigen in Escherichia coli

Nature volume 286, pages 893–895 (1980)Cite this article

Abstract

Hepatitis B is a widespread viral disease1. In the absence of cell cultures capable of propagating the virus (HBV) an efficient vaccine has been prepared from viral envelopes isolated from the plasma of chronic carriers2–4. The major polypeptide of the envelope is one of molecular weight 25,000 which carries the surface antigen (HBsAg)5–8. Therefore, the biosynthesis of this polypeptide in Escherichia coli may offer an alternative procedure to produce HBsAg free from human proteins. Recently, the HBV genome has been cloned in E. coli9–11. Determination of its primary structure allowed the localization of the gene (called gene S) coding for HBsAg12–15 and the synthesis of the core antigen in E. coli has been reported9. We have constructed a derivative of bacteriophage lambda carrying a fusion between the β-galactosidase gene (lacZ) and the HBsAg coding sequence (λlacHBs-1). Infection of E. coli with λlacHBs-1 leads to the biosynthesis of a polypeptide of molecular weight 138,000 carrying antigenic determinants of HBV surface antigen.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Szmuness, W. Am. J. Path. 81, 629–649 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Purcell, R. H. & Cerin, J. L. Am. J. med. Sci. 270, 395–399 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hilleman, M. R. et al. Am. J. med. Sci. 270, 401–404 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Maupas, P., Coursaget, P., Goudeau, A. & Drucker, J. Lancet i, 1367–1370 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Vyas, G. N., Williams, E. W., Klaus, G. G. B. & Bond, H. E. J. Immun. 108, 1114–1118 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Chairez, R., Steiner, S., Melnick, J. L. & Dreesman, G. R. Intervirology 1, 224 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Chairez, R., Hollinger, F. B., Brunschwig, J. P. & Dreesman, G. R. J. Virol. 15, 182 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Peterson, D. L., Roberts, I. M. & Vyas, G. N. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 1530–1534 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Burrel, C. J., Mackay, P., Greenaway, P. J., Hofschneider, P. H. & Murray, K. Nature 279, 43–47 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Charnay, P., Pourcel, C., Louise, A., Fritsch, A. & Tiollais, P. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 2222–2226 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Sninsky, J. J., Siddiqui, A., Robinson, W. S. & Cohen, S. N. Nature 279, 346–348 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Valenzuela, P. et al. Nature 280, 815–819 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Charnay, P. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 7, 335–346 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Galibert, F., Mandart, E., Fitoussi, F., Tiollais, P. & Charnay, P. Nature 281, 646–650 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Pasek, M. et al. Nature 282, 575–579 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Itakura, K. et al. Science 198, 1056–1063 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Goeddel, D. V. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 106–110 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Maxam, A. M. & Gilbert, W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 560–564 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Charney, P., Louise, A., Fritsch, A., Perrin, D. & Tiollais, P. Molec. gen. Genet. 170, 171–178 (1979).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Bolivar, F. et al. Gene 2, 95–113 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Fowler, A. V. & Zabin, I. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 1507–1510 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Pourcel, C., Marchal, C., Louise, A., Fritsch, A. & Tiollais, P. Molec. gen. Genet. 170, 161–169 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Laemmli, U. K. Nature 227, 680–685 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Burgess, R. R. J. biol. Chem. 244, 6168–6176 (1969).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Bonner, W. M. & Laskey, R. A. Eur. J. Biochem. 46, 83–88 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Laskey, R. A. & Mills, A. D. Eur. J. Biochem. 56, 335–341 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Iwakura, Y., Ito, K. & Ishihama, A. Molec. gen. Genet. 133, 1–23 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Moir, A. & Brammar, W. J. Molec. gen. Genet. 149, 87–99 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Talwai, G. P. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 218–222 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Francis Galibert: Laboratoire d'Hématologie Expérimentale, Centre Hayem, Hôpital Saint-Louis 2, place A. Fournier, 75010 Paris, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Recombinaison et Expression Génétique (INSERM U.163), Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75724, Paris, Cedex 15, France

    Patrick Charnay, Monica Gervais, Anne Louise, Francis Galibert & Pierre Tiollais

Authors
  1. Patrick Charnay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Monica Gervais
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anne Louise
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Francis Galibert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Pierre Tiollais
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Charnay, P., Gervais, M., Louise, A. et al. Biosynthesis of hepatitis B virus surface antigen in Escherichia coli. Nature 286, 893–895 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/286893a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/286893a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing