Functional similarity between the early antigens of simian virus 40 and human papovavirus BK

The functional properties of the early antigens of simian virus 40 (SV40) and human papovavirus BK (BKV) were investigated. Infection of African green monkey kidney cells with BKV permitted the bidirectional replication of an early temperature-sensitive mutant (tsA) at a nonpermissive temperature. Conceivably, an early gene product (T-antigen) of BKV can substitute functionally for the defective SV40 T-antigen. On the other hand, SV40 DNA replication remained undetectable in human embryonic kidney cells preinfected with BKV, suggesting that BKV early antigens alone are not sufficient to provide for the replication of SV40. Preinfection of African green monkey kidney cells with BKV restored the normal pattern of late lytic SV40 transcription, suppressing the overproduction of early RNA by an SV40 tsA mutant at the nonpermissive temperature. Furthermore, preinfection of African green monkey kidney cells with BKV supported the growth of adenovirus type 2, providing a "helper function" similar to that provided by SV40 for the growth of human adenovirus in monkey kidney cells.