title: No evidence of viral genomes in whole-transcriptome sequencing of three melanoma metastases.
abstract: Several viruses are known to cause cancer, such as human herpes virus 8 in Kaposi sarcoma and human papilloma viruses in cervical cancer. Recently, Merkel cell polyoma virus (MCPyV) has been described in 80% of Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC). Similarly to MCC and Kaposi sarcoma, melanoma incidence is increased in immunosuppressed patients. We asked whether infection by known or yet unknown viruses may play a role in melanoma development as well. To detect viral sequences expressed in melanoma cells, we analysed three melanoma metastases by whole-transcriptome sequencing and digital transcriptome subtraction. None of the samples investigated harboured viral sequences. In contrast, artificial viral sequences and MCPyV transcripts used as a positive control for the bioinformatics analysis were detected. This renders it less likely that viruses are frequently involved in melanoma induction. A larger number of melanoma transcriptome sequencings are required to rule out viruses as a relevant pathogen.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feldhahn
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menzel
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weide
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meckbach
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbe
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kohlbacher
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bauer
mesh_terms: D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary* / Q000821:virology*; D009858:Oncogenic Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D059467:Transcriptome