Abstract: Infectious HBV wild-type and mutant clones were produced in vitro with three mutations in
pol (
rtV173L plus
rtL180M plus
rtM204V) or with a single mutation in the
S gene (
sG145R) and inoculated in treatment-naive chimpanzees.
Abstract: Intravenous inoculation of these mutants in chimpanzees resulted in
HBV infection; the
pol mutations remained stable, whereas the
sG145R mutation reverted to wild type during viraemia.