Group C human adenoviruses (Ads) of serotypes 1, 2, 5, and 6 infect most children and commonly cause latent infections of lymphoid tissues. Ads transform cells into a malignant-like phenotype; the oncogenic genetic information is in the left 8% of the viral genome, in the HindIII-G DNA fragment. We have investigated the molecular basis for group C Ad latent infections in human tonsils as well as whether these viruses are linked to human cancer. Tonsil or cancer DNAs and RNAs were assayed for Ad sequences by liquid-phase saturation-hybridization with in vitro-labeled AdS HindIII-G fragment.
Most humans in the United States have been infected with BK virus (BKV), a human papovavirus. Because BKV has oncogenic properties, we have investigated whether it may be a cause of human cancer. Basic principles of tumor virology imply that BKV-induced tumors should contain BKV DNA sequences. Therefore, we assayed (by molecular hybridization) DNA The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U. S. C. §1734 solely to indicate this fact. express T antigen, and are tumorigenic in hamsters (12,14,15). BKV is related to but distinct from simian virus 40 (SV40) and JC virus, another human papovavirus (18). BKV and SV40 T antigens crossreact strongly (9,12,14,15,19,20) (the SV40 T antigen is believed to be a protein encoded by the SV40 early region and to play a role in SV40-induced cell transformation).Because BKV is widespread in the human population and has oncogenic properties, it is important to determine whether it is a cause of human cancer. To test this, we assayed for BKV DNA sequences in DNA from 166 human tumors and 7 malignant cell lines, using in vitro 32P-labeled BKV DNA (1 to 2 X 108 cpm/,gg) as probe in saturation molecular hybridization reactions. On the basis of studies of transformation and tumorigenesis in animals with papovaviruses and other DNA tumor viruses, tumors induced by BKV would be expected to contain BKV DNA (probably integrated). In this report we describe the preparation and characterization of BKV
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