Result: In addition, the
E180G,
S181P, and
Q182K missense mutations were identified in 12 clones derived from 5
HCC patients but only 3 clones from 2 non-
HCC patients (Table 2).
Discussion: The C-terminal 10 residues of the
core protein are dispensable for HBV replication, and the high replication capacity of clones 4.2, 4.9, 13.2, and 5.1 suggests that the
E180G,
S181P, and
Q182K mutations present in these clones do not markedly suppress genome replication.