Amino acid substitutions at positions 122 and 145 of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) determine the antigenicity and immunogenicity of HBsAg and influence in vivo HBsAg clearance

A variety of amino acid substitutions, such as K122I and G145R, have been identified around or within the a determinant of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), impair HBsAg secretion and antibody binding, and may be responsible for immune escape in patients. In this study, we examined how different substitutions at amino acid positions 122 and 145 of HBsAg influence HBsAg expression, secretion, and recognition by anti-HBs antibodies. The results showed that the hydrophobicity, the presence of the phenyl group, and the charges in the side chain of the amino acid residues at position 145 reduced HBsAg secretion and impaired reactivity with anti-HBs antibodies. Only the substitution K122I at position 122 affected HBsAg secretion and recognition by anti-HBs antibodies. Genetic immunization in mice demonstrated that the priming of anti-HBs antibody response was strongly impaired by the substitutions K122I, G145R, and others, like G145I, G145W, and G145E. Mice preimmunized with wild-type HBsAg (wtHBsAg) or variant HBsAg (vtHBsAg) were challenged by hydrodynamic injection (HI) with a replication-competent hepatitis B virus (HBV) clone. HBsAg persisted in peripheral blood for at least 3 days after HI in mice preimmunized with vtHBsAg but was undetectable in mice preimmunized with wtHBsAg, indicating that vtHBsAgs fail to induce proper immune responses for efficient HBsAg clearance. In conclusion, the biochemical properties of amino acid residues at positions 122 and 145 of HBsAg have a major effect on antigenicity and immunogenicity. In addition, the presence of proper anti-HBs antibodies is indispensable for the neutralization and clearance of HBsAg during HBV infection.