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Small tumor antigen of polyomaviruses: Role in viral life cycle and cell transformation
Author(s) -
Khalili Kamel,
Sariyer Ilker Kudret,
Safak Mahmut
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of cellular physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 174
eISSN - 1097-4652
pISSN - 0021-9541
DOI - 10.1002/jcp.21326
Subject(s) - biology , viral life cycle , merkel cell polyomavirus , antigen , transformation (genetics) , virus , cell cycle , oncovirus , cell , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , tumor virus , viral replication , immunology , gene , genetics , merkel cell carcinoma , carcinoma
Abstract The regulatory proteins of polyomaviruses, including small and large T antigens, play important roles, not only in the viral life cycle but also in virus‐induced cell transformation. Unlike many other tumor viruses, the transforming proteins of polyomaviruses have no cellular homologs but rather exert their effects mostly by interacting with cellular proteins that control fundamental processes in the regulation of cell proliferation and the cell cycle. Thus, they have proven to be valuable tools to identify specific signaling pathways involved in tumor progression. Elucidation of these pathways using polyomavirus transforming proteins as tools is critically important in understanding fundamental regulatory mechanisms and hence to develop effective therapeutic strategies against cancer. In this short review, we will focus on the structural and functional features of one polyomavirus transforming protein, that is, the small t‐antigen of the human neurotropic JC virus (JCV) and the simian virus, SV40. J. Cell. Physiol. 215: 309–319, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.