@article{mbs:/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-78-8-2049, author = "Koletzki, Diana and Zankl, Andreas and Gelderblom, Hans R. and Meisel, Helga and Dislers, Andris and Borisova, Galina and Pumpens, Paul and Króger, Detlev H. and Ulrich, Rainer", title = "Mosaic hepatitis B virus core particles allow insertion of extended foreign protein segments", journal= "Journal of General Virology", year = "1997", volume = "78", number = "8", pages = "2049-2053", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-78-8-2049", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-78-8-2049", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2099", type = "Journal Article", abstract = "Because of its particular immunological properties, the core protein of hepatitis B virus (HBcAg) has become one of the favoured ‘virus-like particles’ for use as a carrier of foreign epitopes. A new strategy to construct core particles presenting extended foreign protein segments was established based on the introduction of a linker containing a translational stop codon between sequences encoding a C-terminally truncated HBcAg (HBcAgA) and a foreign protein sequence. Expression in an Escherichia coli suppressor strain allowed the simultaneous synthesis of both HBcAgA and a read- through fusion protein containing a part of the hantavirus nucleocapsid protein. After purification, the presence of core-like mosaic particles with HBc and hantavirus antigenicity was demonstrated by electron microscopy and immunological tests. This strategy of partial stop codon suppression should improve the use of HBcAg as a carrier of foreign epitopes by allowing insertion of long foreign sequences into particle-forming proteins. The resulting mosaic particles should be of general interest for further vaccine developments.", }