Region-Specific Hepatitis B Virus Genome Exposure from Nucleocapsid Modulated by Capsid Linker Sequence and Inhibitor: Implications for Uncoating

Abstract

Disassembly of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) nucleocapsid (NC) to release its genomic DNA, in an ill-understood process called uncoating, is required to form the viral nuclear episome in the host cell nucleus, a viral DNA essential for establishing and sustaining HBV infection. The elimination of the HBV nuclear episome remains the holy grail for the development of an HBV cure.