Abstract
Infectious hepatitis B virus (HBV), namely Dane particles (DPs), consists of a core nucleocapsid including genome DNA covered with an envelope of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). We report the synthesis, structure, and HBV-trapping capability of multilayered protein nanotubes having an anti-HBsAg antibody (HBsAb) layer as an internal wall. The nanotubes were prepared using an alternating layer-by-layer assembly of human serum albumin (HSA) and oppositely charged poly-l-arginine (PLA) into a nanoporous polycarbonate (PC) membrane (pore size, 400 nm), followed by depositions of poly-l-glutamic acid (PLG) and HBsAb. Subsequent dissolution of the PC template yielded (PLA/HSA)2PLA/PLG/HBsAb nanotubes (AbNTs). The SEM measurements revealed the formation of uniform hollow cylinders with a 414 ± 16 nm outer diameter and 59 ± 4 nm wall thickness. In an aqueous medium, the swelled nanotubes captured noninfectious spherical small particles of HBsAg (SPs); the binding constant was 3.5 à 107 Mâ1. Surprisingly, the amount of genome DNA in the HBV solution (HBsAg-positive plasma or DP-rich solution) decreased dramatically after incubation with the AbNTs (â3.9âlog order), which implies that the infectious DPs were completely entrapped into the one-dimensional pore space of the AbNTs.
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