title: JC virus agnoprotein colocalizes with tubulin.
abstract: The human polyomavirus JC (JCV) encodes an agnoprotein that consists of 71 amino acid residues, with a molecular weight of approximately 8 kDa, from the late protein coding region. The agnoprotein of JCV shares 50% to 60% homology with those of simian virus 40 (SV40) and BK virus (BKV), and the carboxyl-terminal region of JCV agnoprotein is relatively unique. By using specific antibody to the carboxyl-terminal region of JCV agnoprotein, the authors have demonstrated that JCV agnoprotein expressed in the JCV-infected cells, where it localized predominantly in the perinuclear region of the cytoplasm, and colocalizes with the cellular cytoskeletal protein, tubulin. The results suggest that JCV agnoprotein may play a role in the stability of microtubules and the preservation of JCV infected cells via an interaction with tubulin.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, and CREST, Japan Science and Technology, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Orba
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishihara
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sawa
mesh_terms: D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007577:JC Virus; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C042559:agnoprotein, polyomavirus; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins