| Duck hepatitis B virus | |
|---|---|
Virus classification | |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Riboviria |
| Kingdom: | Pararnavirae |
| Phylum: | Artverviricota |
| Class: | Revtraviricetes |
| Order: | Blubervirales |
| Family: | Hepadnaviridae |
| Genus: | Avihepadnavirus |
| Species: | Avihepadnavirus anatigruidae |
Duck hepatitis B virus, abbreviatedDHBV, is part of the genusAvihepadnavirus of theHepadnaviridae, and is the causal agent ofduck hepatitis B.
DHBV is a smallDNA virus with a diameter of 40–45 nm. Theviral envelope is made up from host cell lipid, with viral surface antigens (DHBsAg). The icosahedralnucleocapsid within, is composed of thevirus core antigen (DHBcAg) and surrounds the DNAgenome andviral polymerase. The viral genome is a circular double stranded DNA molecule about 3000base pairs long. The genome has three overlappingopen reading frames or ORFs:[citation needed]
On binding andentry of the virus to the host cell, the genome is transported to thenucleus to betranscribed. Novel viral RNA is then transferred to the cytoplasm fortranslation and subsequentprotein synthesis.[citation needed]
Duck hepatitis B virus has provided a basis for the use of vaccines and prophylactic treatments for individuals at high risk of humanHepatitis B virus (HBV).[1] The virus has also provided as a usefulanimal model in the absence of one from the HBV,[2] and as scaffold for the development of chimeric virus-like particles.[3]