Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026
08:07
Profiling of Surface Protein Epitopes on Viral Particles by Multiplex Dual-Reporter Strategy
Published on: January 12, 2024
From Stockholm to Malawi: recent developments in studying human polyomaviruses
Mariet C W Feltkamp1, Siamaque Kazem1, Els van der Meijden1
1Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
The Journal of General Virology
|December 21, 2012
Summary
Recent discoveries have expanded the polyomavirus family (Polyomaviridae) with eight new human polyomaviruses (HPyVs). This review covers their virology, pathogenicity, epidemiology, and phylogeny.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The Polyomaviridae family historically included a dozen viruses, with human JC and BK polyomaviruses known pathogens in immunocompromised individuals.
- Since 2007, a significant expansion of known human polyomaviruses has occurred, with eight novel types identified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in the study of novel human polyomaviruses.
- To summarize current knowledge on polyomavirus virology, pathogenicity, epidemiology, and phylogeny.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on novel human polyomaviruses.
- Synthesis of information regarding identified polyomaviruses and their associations.
Main Results:
- Eight new human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) have been discovered since 2007.
- These include KI, WU, Merkel cell, trichodysplasia spinulosa-associated polyomavirus, HPyV6, HPyV7, HPyV9, and Malawi polyomavirus.
- Some novel HPyVs are associated with specific diseases (e.g., Merkel cell carcinoma, trichodysplasia spinulosa), while others have no known disease association yet.
Conclusions:
- The discovery of numerous novel human polyomaviruses has broadened our understanding of the Polyomaviridae family.
- Ongoing research is crucial for elucidating the full spectrum of polyomavirus-associated diseases and their epidemiological impact.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Human Virome
The human body harbors a vast and diverse viral community known as the human virome. The virome includes bacteriophages that infect bacteria, and eukaryotic viruses that infect human cells. Transient dietary and environmental viruses also contribute to this dynamic ecosystem. Estimates suggest the human body may contain on the order of 10¹³ viral particles, though abundance varies widely by body site and detection method.Comprehensive characterization of the virome has become possible only with...
00:36Viral Mutations
A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material for adaptive...
00:57Viral Recombination
Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.