Assembly of JC virus-like particles in COS7 cells.
JC virus lacks an appropriate cell line to support virus replication. The establishment of a JC pseudovirus assembly system could play an alternative role for a virus culture system. COS7 cells and a transfer vector, pcDL-SR alpha 296, were used to express JC viral structural genes. VP231-SR alpha, which encodes VP2/VP3 and VP1, but lacks 137 bp of the 5'-terminus of agnogene, showed both efficient nuclear migration and quantitative expression of the major capsid protein VP1. JC pseudovirus assembly was observed in the nucleus of VP231-SR alpha transfected cells. Evidence of JC pseudovirus assembly is presented. The further utilization of this system, which includes a study for the viral morphogenesis, serological diagnosis, as well as the potential application for gene transfer vector, is discussed.
Shishido
Y
Y
Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Nukuzuma
S
S
Mukaigawa
J
J
Morikawa
S
S
Yasui
K
K
Nagashima
K
K
D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007577:JC Virus / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014771:Virion; D019065:Virus Assembly
D036022:Capsid Proteins