Human polyomavirus 13 | |
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Virus classification | |
(unranked): | Virus |
Realm: | Monodnaviria |
Kingdom: | Shotokuvirae |
Phylum: | Cossaviricota |
Class: | Papovaviricetes |
Order: | Sepolyvirales |
Family: | Polyomaviridae |
Genus: | Alphapolyomavirus |
Species: | Human polyomavirus 13
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New Jersey polyomavirus (NJPyV, also known as Human polyomavirus 13) is a virus of the polyomavirus family that infects human hosts. It was first identified in 2014 in a pancreatic transplant patient in New Jersey. It is the 13th and most recent human polyomavirus to be described.[1]
NJPyV was first reported in 2014 after it was isolated from epithelial cells of a pancreatic transplant patient presenting with blindness, vasculitis, myopathy, and dermatosis. After doctors were unable to identify known viral causes of the patient's symptoms, a research team led by virologist Ian Lipkin screened samples of affected tissue for the presence of novel viruses, and identified the genome of a novel polyomavirus.[1][2]
The organization of the NJPyV genome is typical of polyomaviruses. At around 5.1 kilobase pairs in length, it contains six identifiable genes: the small tumor antigen, large tumor antigen, and alternative tumor antigen (ALTO); and three viral coat proteins, VP1, VP2, and VP3.[1] The ALTO protein is an unusual alternative splicing product of the "late region" of the genome, which canonically encodes the small and large tumor antigens; expression of ALTO has also been reported in trichodysplasia spinulosa polyomavirus.[3]
In the 2015 taxonomic update to the polyomavirus group, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses classified NJPyV as a member of the genus Alphapolyomaviridae, whose type species is murine polyomavirus (Mus musculus polyomavirus 1).[4]
The prevalence of NJPyV is unknown, though other human polyomaviruses are fairly common and usually asymptomatic.[5] Only a small number of studies have yet attempted to screen for NJPyV seroprevalence in the general population. Although one study reported its prevalence at nearly 60% of the study population,[6] others have found prevalence to be very low[7][8] or undetectable.[9][10] It is unclear if the New Jersey index case was newly infected at the time symptoms manifested, or if a latent infection was reactivated in the context of stress and immunosuppression (a known mechanism of pathogenicity for polyomaviruses).[1]
NJPyV was discovered in clinical samples from a single patient; outside of this case report, the clinical effects of NJPyV are unknown.[1]