Objectives: To develop a new method for amplifying and sequencing the full-length of HBV genome.
Methods: A pair of primers located at the nick region of HBV molecule and a thermostable polymerase with high fidelity and sensitivity were used. After cloning the PCR products into a plasmid, the sequences of HBV genome were analyzed.
Results: The full-length of HBV genome were acquired using this method. The sensitivity and fidelity of the new method were also analyzed. The least quantity of initial templates was 10(2) and the artificial mutation rate was 1.2 bp/kb.
Conclusion: This method can be used in amplification and sequence analysis of the full-length of HBV genome on a large scale.