Identification of a Novel Human Polyomavirus in Organs of the Gastrointestinal Tract

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 8; no. 3; p. e58021
• Main Authors: Korup, Sarah, Rietscher, Janita, Calvignac-Spencer, Sébastien, Trusch, Franziska, Hofmann, Jörg, Moens, Ugo, Sauer, Igor, Voigt, Sebastian, Schmuck, Rosa, Ehlers, Bernhard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 13.03.2013; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Adults; Aged; Antigens; Basale medisinske, odontologiske og veterinærmedisinske fag: 710; Basic medical, dental and veterinary science disciplines: 710; Biology; Blood & organ donations; Body fluids; Cancer; Capsid protein; Cecum; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Consent; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Ethics; Gastrointestinal system; Gastrointestinal tract; Gastrointestinal Tract - virology; Gene Order; Genome, Viral; Genomes; Genomics; Health aspects; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Infections; Liver; Liver - virology; Liver transplants; Lymphatic system; Medical disciplines: 700; Medical microbiology: 715; Medical molecular biology: 711; Medicine; Medisinsk mikrobiologi: 715; Medisinsk molekylærbiologi: 711; Medisinske Fag: 700; Middle Aged; Molecular Sequence Data; Open Reading Frames; Organs; Phylogeny; Polymerase chain reaction; Polyomavirus - classification; Polyomavirus - genetics; Polyomavirus - immunology; Polyomavirus Infections - epidemiology; Polyomavirus Infections - virology; Prevalence; Proteins; Rectum; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serology; Structural proteins; Surgery; Tissues; Transplants & implants; Tumor Virus Infections - epidemiology; Tumor Virus Infections - virology; VDP; Viral infections; Viral proteins; Viral Proteins - genetics; Virology; Viruses; VP1 protein; VP3 protein; Young Adult; Germany
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058021

Polyomaviruses are small, non-enveloped viruses with a circular double-stranded DNA genome. Using a generic polyomavirus PCR targeting the VP1 major structural protein gene, a novel polyomavirus was initially identified in resected human liver tissue and provisionally named Human Polyomavirus 12 (HPyV12). Its 5033 bp genome is predicted to encode large and small T antigens and the 3 structural proteins VP1, VP2 and VP3. Phylogenetic analyses did not reveal a close relationship to any known human or animal polyomavirus. Investigation of organs, body fluids and excretions of diseased individuals and healthy subjects with both HPyV12-specific nested PCR and quantitative real-time PCR revealed additional virus-positive samples of resected liver, cecum and rectum tissues and a positive fecal sample. A capsomer-based IgG ELISA was established using the major capsid protein VP1 of HPyV12. Seroprevalences of 23% and 17%, respectively, were determined in sera from healthy adults and adolescents and a pediatric group of children. These data indicate that the virus naturally infects humans and that primary infection may already occur in childhood.