Characterization of K virus and its comparison with polyoma virus

Abstract

The antigenic relationship between the two murine papovaviruses, K virus and polyoma virus, was examined by serological techniques to determine whether they shared any antigenic components. No cross-reactivity was found associated with the viral (V) antigens by the indirect immunofluorescence, neutralization, or hemagglutination-inhibition tests. The tumor (T) antigens expressed in transformed cells or cells productively infected by either K or polyoma virus did not cross-react by indirect immunofluorescence. An antigenic relationship was detected, however, among the late proteins of K virus, polyoma virus, simian virus 40, and the human papovavirus BKV, when tested with either hyperimmune sera prepared against polyoma virus and simian virus 40 or sera prepared against disrupted virions. The nucleic acids of K and polyoma viruses were compared by agarose gel electrophoresis and restriction endonuclease analysis. No nucleotide sequence homology between the genomes of these two viruses was detectable by DNA-DNA hybridization techniques under stringent conditions. The genome of K virus was found to be slightly smaller than that of polyoma virus, and the cleavage patterns of the viral DNAs with six restriction endonucleases were different. These findings indicate that there is little relationship between these two murine papovaviruses.

Characterization of the genome of the murine papovavirus K

“…The electrophoretic mobilities and calculated molecular sizes of these DNA fragments are summarized in Table 2. The molecular weight of the full-length KV DNA molecules cleaved with KpnI or PstI was 3.30 x 106, which is in agreement with previous estimates (1). Sequential cleavage of KV DNA with KpnI and PstI resulted in two DNA fragments measuring 20.6 and 79.4% of the full-length KV DNA, indicating that these two sites are 0.206 map units apart on the circular KV genome.…”

“…Py and KV are the only two known murine members of the Polyomavirus genus of papovaviruses and can easily be distinguished. Antibodies directed against their tumor (T) antigens or complete virions (V antigens) are not cross-reactive (1,24); however, antibodies directed against KV or Py disrupted virions cross-react as they do with all members of this genus of viruses (1,22).…”

“…x 10' daltons. The genomes of KV and Py can readily be distinguished by the patterns generated by cleavage with restriction endonucleases (1). Furthermore, under standard solution DNA-DNA hybridization conditions, 250C below the melting temperature (Tm-2500), no nucleotide sequence homology between the DNAs of these two murine papovaviruses is detectable (1).…”

Relationship between the limited and wide host range octopine-type Ti plasmids of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

“…The human papovavirus BK and simian virus 40 code for tumor antigens that are immunologically cross-reactive (39) and presumably have similar functions. Homology between these genes is not detected under standard conditions of hybridization (Tm -2500); the stringency must be lowered (Tm-350C) for DNA homology to be observed (3,23,33). Similarly, we detected homology between the limited host range Ti plasmids and the common DNA region of pTiB6806 and pTiA6 when hybridization was carried out at low stringency (Fig.…”

Viral Infections of Laboratory Mice

“…The second is murine polyomavirus (MPyV). Both are related, but antigenically distinct, from each other [143], and also viruslike particles from the major capsid protein (VP1) do not cross-react [144]. They are enzootic in many populations of wild mice but are very uncommon in laboratory mice.…”