title: Analysis of DNA methylation in human BK virus.
abstract: Human BK virus may cause nephropathy due to viral replication in patients who have undergone renal transplantation. However, the mechanism regulating replication of BKV is still not clear. Previous studies have suggested that epigenetic modifications may play a crucial role in virus replication. In this study, the DNA methylation profiles of five CpG sites located within the promoter/enhancer regions and nine CpG sites located within the early and late coding regions of the replicating BKV genome were investigated. BKV genomic DNA from mature virions and from the early and late phases of replicating BKV were examined for DNA methylation by bisulfite sequencing that covered 14 CpG sites. Our results showed that none of the examined BKV DNA from the various different stages of replication was methylated. This is the first report to analyze the methylation of BKV genomic DNA during viral replication. The results seem to indicate that methylation is not involved in regulation of BKV replication.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, 168, University Rd., Min-Hsiung, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Fang
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Meilin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chiung-Yao
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Pei-Lain
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shu-Fen
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Michael W Y
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Deching
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001739:BK Virus / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D018899:CpG Islands / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D023061:Gene Order; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000821:virology; D014709:Vero Cells; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000502:physiology