Expression of hepatitis B virus surface antigen P31 gene in yeast.

The hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) P31 gene has been expressed in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The gene products were shown to be glycoproteins with molecular sizes of 37,000 and 34,000 daltons (GP37 and GP34) containing polymerized albumin receptors. Successfully detecting these proteins depended on the extraction procedures. In the extract without protein denaturants and inhibitors, these products were degraded rapidly by proteases to yield smaller size derivatives lacking polymerized albumin receptors. As is the case in human serum-derived HBsAg, yeast HBsAg consisting of GP37 and GP34 was found to be particles or aggregates having a buoyant density of 1.2 g/cc; these particles bound to polymerized human serum albumin in species-specific manner.