Woodchuck hepatitis virus cDNA and Antigen

Woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) is a type of hepatitis virus that is known to cause hepatitis in woodchucks. Currently, there is no commercially available antigen test for WHV, but research is underway to develop such a test. Research has shown that WHV antigen can be detected in the livers of infected woodchucks and that the WHV antigen can be used to diagnose WHV infection.

The woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) is a member of the family Hepadnaviridae and is the only hepadnavirus known to infect mammals other than humans. WHV is the causative agent of woodchuck hepatitis, a contagious liver disease in woodchucks (Marmota monax) and other related species of ground squirrels. The genome of WHV is composed of a single-stranded, circular DNA molecule of approximately 3.2 kilobases in length. The WHV genome consists of two overlapping open-reading frames (ORFs) that encode the viral proteins, and non-coding regions that provide the regulatory signals for replication and expression of the viral proteins. The two ORFs encode a large protein, which is the viral polymerase, and a smaller structural protein, which is the capsid protein. The non-coding regions include the viral origin of replication, the promoter sequences, and the ribosome binding sites. The WHV genome also contains numerous short, interspersed repetitive elements, including transposons and minisatellites.

WHV has a small circular DNA genome and encodes several proteins, including the polymerase protein, pre-core protein, X protein, large envelope protein, and surface antigen gene.

The polymerase protein is responsible for replication of the viral genome and is essential for viral replication. The pre-core protein is a precursor to the core antigen and is important for viral assembly. The X protein is a regulatory protein that is involved in the regulation of viral gene expression and is implicated in the development of liver cancer.

The large envelope protein is the major component of the viral envelope and is involved in the attachment of the virus to host cells. The surface antigen gene encodes the viral surface antigen, which is important for the detection of the virus in infected individuals and for the development of vaccines against the virus.

WHV infection in woodchucks has been used as a model for studying hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in humans, as the two viruses are closely related and share many features. Research on WHV has helped to inform the development of antiviral drugs and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of HBV infection.

The use of recombinant proteins/cDNA in academic research and therapeutic applications has skyrocketed. However, in heterologous expression systems, successful recombinant protein expression is dependent on a variety of factors, including codon preference, RNA secondary structure, and GC content. When compared to pre-optimization, more and more experimental results demonstrated that the expression level was dramatically increased, ranging from two to hundred times depending on the gene. Bioclone has created a proprietary technology platform that has resulted in the creation of over 6,000 artificially synthesized codon-optimized cDNA clones (cloned in E.coli expression Vector), which are ready for production of the recombinant proteins.
Woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) is a species of the genus Orthohepadnavirus, which is a type of virus that infects the liver. WHV is closely related to the human hepatitis B virus (HBV)