Abstract
We have demonstrated by immunoelectron microscopy that 42-nm particles with double-shelled structures characteristic of Dane particles are present in the serum of transgenic mice, 1.2HB-BS 10, carrying partly duplicated hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome. Furthermore, these particles were shown to infect primary human fetal hepatocytes as demonstrated by the elevation of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) in the culture medium. HBV DNA is known to be expressed in a liver- and kidney-specific manner in the adult mouse, so we examined the developmental expression of viral antigens. In the liver, viral antigens (HBsAg and HBV e antigen) began to be expressed before birth and the level of expression showed a sharp rise after birth. On the other hand, in the kidney, viral antigens began to be expressed after birth. Serum levels of viral antigens were roughly proportional to the levels of expression in the liver, suggesting that the liver is the main source for viral antigens in the serum. None of these transgenic mice produced anti-HBs or anti-HBV core response or showed biochemical or pathological change up to at least 24 months of age. All these results suggest that infectious viral particles can be produced in transgenic mice, and that expression and replication of HBV DNA are not toxic in vivo.