This invention provides an isolated strain of Hepatitis B virus designated Human Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen-'-145 Singapore Strain (Glycine to Arginine) which constituent viral genome is deposited under Accession Nos. P97121504, P97121505 and P97121506 with the European Collection of Cell Culture on 15th Dec. 1997. This invention also provides an isolated nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide which is a mutant major surface antigen of a strain of hepatitis B virus, such polypeptide having an amino acid sequence which differs from the amino acid sequence of a major surface antigen of a wild type hepatitis B virus in that the amino acid at position number 145 of such polypeptide is an arginine rather than a glycine, and the purified peptide. This invention further provides an isolated nucleic acid which encodes a peptide, wherein the peptide is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising nucleotides 527 through 595 of SEQ. ID. No. 1, and the purified peptide. This invention also provides various methods using the disclosed isolated nucleic acids and polypeptides. This invention also provides various uses of the viral strain and its proteins.