Anti-Hepatitis B Virus pre S2 Antigen antibody [S26] (ab8635)

Relevance

The human hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a DNA virus that causes chronic infections that frequently lead to the development of cirrhosis and cellular hepatocellular carcinoma. The HBsAg (surface antigen) gene is one long open reading frame but contains three in frame "start" (ATG) codons that divide the gene into three sections, pre-S1, pre-S2, and S. Because of the multiple start codons, polypeptides of three different sizes called large, middle, and small (pre-S1 + pre-S2 + S, pre-S2 + S, or S) are produced. The preS2 domain is the minimal functional unit of transcription activators that are encoded by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface (S) gene. It is present in more than one-third of the HBV-integrates in HBV induced hepatocarcinoma (HCC). Pre-S2 is a diagnostically important surface antigen of human hepatitis B virus. The PreS domain (S1 + S2) of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen may be a good candidate for an effective vaccine as it activates both B and T cells besides binding to hepatocytes.

Cellular localization

Virion membrane (By similarity).

Alternative names