MULTIPLE HEPATITIS B VIRUS SURFACE PROTEINS WHICH FORM PARTICLES

摘要

In order to produce a mixture hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface proteins in the form of particles, DNA encoding two or more HBV proteins was expressed by a single recombinant yeast. In order to form particles with substantially reduced carbohydrate, such DNA encoding two or more HBV proteins is expressed in a single recombinant yeast host which is deficient in its ability to glycosylate proteins. These HBV proteins display the antigenic sites genetically encoded by the S domain (including the preS domain) of the HBV virion envelope open reading frame and when expressed in a yeast deficient for its ability to glycosylate, contain substantially reduced levels of entrapped carbohydrate when compared with HBsAg particles produced in yeast cells "wild-type" for glycosylation. These particles are useful as a vaccine for both the active and passive treatment or prevention of disease and/or infection caused by HBV or other agents serologically related to HBV including antigenic variants in the immunodominant epitopes of the surface protein and also are useful as antigens and immunogens for development of diagnostic tests for such diseases or infections.