Incubation period 45-120 days. HBV does not grow in tissue culture and this has hindered investigations. Thus there is some degree of overlap between the pararetroviruses and the retroviruses.
All hepadnaviruses have a restricted host range.
The a component of the receptor for DHBV has been identified, a large glycoprotein termed gp180 or p170, a membrane protein of the carboxypeptidase D family. S - produced from alternative translation start sites. Though not essential in transfected cells, it is required for infection in vivo. 627-686 Closed circular DNA is found soon after infection in the nucleus of the cell and therefore is probably the source of these transcripts. The 3.5kb RNA transcript, core antigen and polymerase form core particles in the cytoplasm.