UNLABELLED The polyomavirus tumor (T) antigens play crucial roles in viral replication, transcription, and cellular transformation. They are encoded by partially overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) located in the early region through alternative mRNA splicing. The T expression pattern of the trichodysplasia spinulosa-associated polyomavirus (TSPyV) has not been established yet, hampering fur...

Interstitial cystitis causes disabling bladder pain and is usually diagnosed in the absence of infection. We describe a patient with interstitial cystitis who had high urinary levels of polyomavirus that decreased dramatically after initiation of intravesical cidofovir treatment; the patient also showed substantial improvement in symptoms. Another patient had milder symptoms of cystitis and int...

UNLABELLED Human polyomavirus 6 (HPyV6) and HPyV7 are commonly found on human skin. We have determined the X-ray structures of their major capsid protein, VP1, at resolutions of 1.8 and 1.7 Å, respectively. In polyomaviruses, VP1 commonly determines antigenicity as well as cell-surface receptor specificity, and the protein is therefore linked to attachment, tropism, and ultimately, viral pathog...

Establishment of a chronic infection is a key event in virus-mediated carcinogenesis. Several cancer-associated, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses act via their oncoproteins to downregulate Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), a key receptor in the host innate immune response that senses viral or bacterial dsDNA. A novel oncogenic virus, Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), has been recently identified ...

Polyomavirus middle T antigen is phosphorylated on several tyrosine residues which act as binding sites for cellular proteins, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Shc, and phospholipase C-gamma. In this report we describe the transforming properties and tumor-inducing ability of a polyomavirus that contains a single-site mutation in middle T antigen which changes a tyrosine residue at amin...

Epidemiological studies have suggested that consumption of beef may correlate with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. One hypothesis to explain this proposed link might be the presence of a carcinogenic infectious agent capable of withstanding cooking. Polyomaviruses are a ubiquitous family of thermostable non-enveloped DNA viruses that are known to be carcinogenic. Using virion enrichment...

Polyomaviruses (PyVs) are known to infect a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates and are associated with a broad spectrum of diseases, including cancers, particularly in immune-suppressed hosts. A novel polyomavirus, designated rat polyomavirus 2 (RatPyV2), was identified from a breeding colony of rats having X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency. Using a human panpolyomavirus immuno...

Polyomaviruses are non-enveloped, dsDNA viruses that are common in mammals, including humans. All polyomaviruses encode the large T-antigen and small t-antigen proteins that share conserved functional domains, comprising binding motifs for the tumor suppressors pRb and p53, and for protein phosphatase 2A, respectively. At present, 13 different human polyomaviruses are known, and for some of the...

Objective The effect of polyomavirus infection in HSCT recipients is poorly understood. Methods We evaluated 38 HSCT recipients. Polyomavirus was detected by nested qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays of urine. The risk factors for BK virus and JC virus were analysed. The kidney and liver functions of infected and uninfected patients were compared. Results BK virus, JC virus, and...

We have analyzed the regulation of viral transcription by the large tumor antigen in cells infected by several viable deletion and insertion mutants of polyomavirus. We find that deletion of the early promoter "TATA box" and associated large tumor antigen binding site has only a small effect on the balance of early and late mRNAs. Furthermore, transcription of a polyomavirus containing a hetero...