Hepatitis b virus core antigen particle

NEW MATERIAL: HBcAg particles being hehatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) particles holding a polypeptide having an antigenic epitope and characterized by that the HBcAg particles are constituted of HBcAg equipped with an N- terminal extension chain having an Lys residue and a polypeptide is bonded to these particles through the side chain amino group or the Lys residue. USE: Vaccine for infectious diseases. PROCESS: For example, HBcAg particles composed of HBcAg equipped with N-terminal extension chain having an exposed lysine residue prepared by gene manipulation is carboxymethylated to be treated with succinimidyl-4-(N- maleimidemethyl)-cyclohexane-1-carboxylate to be derived and this deriv. is reacted with a polypeptide having an antigenic epitope derived by N- hydroxysuccinimide ester of Sacetylthioglycolic acid to obtain polypeptide bonded HBcAg particles. COPYRIGHT: (C)1991,JPO