title: Genome analysis of non-human primate polyomaviruses.
abstract: Polyomaviruses have so far only been isolated from mammals and birds. Typical for all members of this family is their double-stranded genome of approximately 5000 base-pairs which can be divided into an early region encoding at least two functional proteins, the large and small tumor antigens, and a late region encompassing genes for the capsid proteins VP1 and VP2. During the last 10 years several novel polyomaviruses have been described in non-human primates and man. This review compares the non-human primate polyomavirus genomes that have been completely sequenced with each other and with the genomes of human polyomaviruses. We predict the presence of protein- and microRNA-encoding sequences. Our analyses demonstrate that several genetically distinct groups of non-human primate polyomaviruses exist, that different polyomaviruses can infect the same non-human primate species but that most of their proteins display highly similar domains and motifs, indicating conservation of key functions.
authors.affiliation: Division 12 "Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Viruses Affecting Immunocompromised Patients", Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: ehlersb@rki.de.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ehlers
authors.affiliation: University of Tromsø, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Biology, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Moens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000957:Antigens, Viral, Tumor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005814:Genes, Viral; D016679:Genome, Viral; D023281:Genomics; D005838:Genotype; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D018419:Primate Diseases / Q000821:virology; D011323:Primates / Q000821:virology*; D038621:Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D000957:Antigens, Viral, Tumor; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D038621:Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid
keywords: Agno; Alto; Large T; Small T; VP1; VP2