Adaptive mutations in the JC virus protein capsid are associated with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

ABSTRACT: PML is a progressive and mostly fatal demyelinating disease caused by JC virus infection and destruction of infected oligodendrocytes in multiple brain foci of susceptible individuals. While JC virus is highly prevalent in the human population, PML is a rare disease that exclusively afflicts only a small percentage of immunocompromised individuals including those affected by HIV (AIDS) or immunosuppressive drugs. Viral- and/or host-specific factors, and not simply immune status, must be at play to account for the very large discrepancy between viral prevalence and low disease incidence. Here, we show that several amino acids on the surface of the JC virus capsid protein VP1 display accelerated evolution in viral sequences isolated from PML patients but not in sequences isolated from health

SUBMITTER: Sunyaev SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2629573 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature