Molecular cloning and sequence of cDNA encoding polyoma medium tumor antigen-associated 61-kDa protein

Polyoma virus medium tumor antigen forms specific complexes with several cellular proteins; among these is a protein of approximately 61 kDa. With antibodies directed against medium tumor antigen, the 61-kDa protein was purified from human 293 cells that were infected with a hybrid adenovirus and overexpressed medium tumor antigen. The purified 61-kDa protein was partially digested with protease V8, and one of the protease V8 fragments was isolated and partially sequenced. The amino acid sequence information was used to design mixed oligonucleotide probes for screening a cDNA library from human placenta. A clone was isolated that hybridized with two separate probes; the clone contained an insert with an open reading frame for 589 amino acids. By in vitro translation of the transcript from this insert, a protein was generated that had the same size and yielded the same pattern of protease V8 fragments as the original 61-kDa protein. Its amino acid sequence reveals 15 repeats, the majority of which are 39 amino acids long. This protein bears no resemblance to proteins in the data bank that was searched.