Genetic characterization of JC virus Tokyo-1 strain, a variant oncogenic in rodents

The genome DNA of JC virus Tokyo-1 strain [JCV(Tokyo-1)], a variant oncogenic in rodents, was molecularly cloned directly from the brain of a Japanese patient with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and from tissue culture, and the restriction enzyme cleavage pattern and regulatory sequences were determined. The restriction pattern of the cloned JCV(Tokyo-1) DNA was different from those of JCVs previously reported in the United States and Germany. Also, the arrangement of the regulatory sequence was unique to this strain. Thus JCV(Tokyo-1) can be classified as a new subtype. The relationship between the restriction pattern and the regulatory sequence of JCV(Tokyo-1), and its characteristic oncogenicity, is discussed.