Description
Product Characteristics:
Hepatitis B Virus Core Antigen (HBcAg) is part of the infectious virion containing an inner "core particle" enclosing the viral genome. The icosahedral core particle contains 180 or 240 copies of the core protein. HBcAg is one of the three major clinical antigens of hepatitis B virus but disappears early in the course of infection.The hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) is a highly immunogenic subviral particle and functions as both a T-cell-dependent and a T-cell-independent antigen. Therefore, HBcAg may be a promising candidate target for therapeutic vaccine control of chronic HBV infection.
Synonyms: C, Capsid protein, Core and e antigen, Core antigen, Core antigen, Core protein, HBc, HBcAg, HBVgp4, Hepatitis B Virus core antigen, p21.5, precore/core protein, CAPSD_HBVA3.
Target Information: Self assembles to form an icosahedral capsid. Most capsid appear to be large particles with a icosahedral symmetry of T=4 and consist of 240 copies of capsid protein, though a fraction forms smaller T=3 particles consisting of 180 capsid proteins. Entering capsid are transported along microtubules to the nucleus. Phosphorylation of the capsid is thought to induce exposure of nuclear localization signal in the C-terminal portion of the capsid protein that allows binding to the nuclear pore complex via the importin (karyopherin-) alpha and beta. Capsids are imported in intact form through the nuclear pore into the nuclear basket, where it probably binds NUP153. Only capsids that contain the mature viral genome can release the viral DNA and capsid protein into the nucleoplasm. Immature capsids get stucked in the basket. Capsids encapsulate the pre-genomic RNA and the P protein. Pre- genomic RNA is reverse transcribed into DNA while the capsid is still in the cytoplasm. The capsid can then either be directed to the nucleus, providing more genome for transcription, or bud through the endoplasmic reticulum to provide new virions. {ECO:0000255:HAMAP-Rule:MF_04076}. Encapsidates hepatitis delta genome. {ECO:0000255:HAMAP- Rule:MF_04076}