Synthesis of the full-length hepatitis B virus core protein and its capsid formation

Org Biomol Chem. 2024 Mar 13;22(11):2218-2225. doi: 10.1039/d3ob02099a.

Abstract

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Capsid assembly modulators can induce error-prone assembly of HBV core proteins to prevent the formation of infectious virions, representing promising candidates for treating chronic HBV infections. To explore novel capsid assembly modulators from unexplored mirror-image libraries of natural products, we have investigated the synthetic process of the HBV core protein for preparing the mirror-image target protein. In this report, the chemical synthesis of full-length HBV core protein (Cp183) containing an arginine-rich nucleic acid-binding domain at the C-terminus is presented. Sequential ligations using four peptide segments enabled the synthesis of Cp183 via convergent and C-to-N direction approaches. After refolding under appropriate conditions, followed by the addition of nucleic acid, the synthetic Cp183 assembled into capsid-like particles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / metabolism
  • Capsid / chemistry
  • Capsid Proteins / metabolism
  • Hepatitis B virus
  • Hepatitis B* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Nucleic Acids*
  • Viral Core Proteins / analysis
  • Viral Core Proteins / chemistry
  • Viral Core Proteins / metabolism
  • Virus Replication

Substances

  • Capsid Proteins
  • Viral Core Proteins
  • Nucleic Acids
  • Antiviral Agents