title: Characterization of self-assembled virus-like particles of Merkel cell polyomavirus.
abstract: In our recombinant baculovirus system, VP1 protein of merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), which is implicated as a causative agent in Merkel cell carcinoma, was self-assembled into MCPyV-like particles (MCPyV-LP) with two different sizes in insect cells, followed by being released into the culture medium. DNA molecules of 1.5- to 5-kb, which were derived from host insect cells, were packaged in large, ~50-nm spherical particles but not in small, ~25-nm particles. Structure reconstruction using cryo-electron microscopy showed that large MCPyV-LPs are composed of 72 pentameric capsomeres arranged in a T = 7 icosahedral surface lattice and are 48 nm in diameter. The MCPyV-LPs did not share antigenic determinants with BK- and JC viruses (BKPyV and JCPyV). The VLP-based enzyme immunoassay was applied to investigate age-specific prevalence of MCPyV infection in the general Japanese population aged 1-70 years. While seroprevalence of MCPyV increased with age in children and young individuals, its seropositivity in each age group was lower compared with BKPyV and JCPyV.
authors: Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Tian-Cheng
authors: TC
authors: Li
authors: Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Kenji
authors: K
authors: Iwasaki
authors: Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Harutaka
authors: H
authors: Katano
authors: Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Michiyo
authors: M
authors: Kataoka
authors: Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Noriyo
authors: N
authors: Nagata
authors: Cellular and Structural Physiology Institute, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
authors: Kazumi
authors: K
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Research and Education center for Prevention of Global Infectious Diseases of Animals, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Tetsuya
authors: T
authors: Mizutani
authors: Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Naokazu
authors: N
authors: Takeda
authors: Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Takaji
authors: T
authors: Wakita
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
authors: Tetsuro
authors: T
authors: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007313:Insecta; D007577:JC Virus / Q000276:immunology; D007564:Japan; D059965:Merkel cell polyomavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins