Production of the antigen and the antibody of the JC virus major capsid protein VP1

The DNA of the major capsid protein VP1 of the human polyomavirus JC virus (JCV), Taiwan-3 strain, was generated from the urine of an autoimmune disease patient by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The VP1 DNA was cloned into a prokaryotic expression vector, pGEX-4T-1, for expression in E. coli. The nucleotide sequences and the deduced amino acid sequences were determined and compared with the JC virus prototype, Mad-1. Thirty nucleotides were different between these two strains. Six of the altered nucleotides affected amino acid coding and ten of them caused changes in endonuclease recognition sites. The recombinant VP1 protein was purified and used to raise monospecific antiserum in rabbit. Recombinant JCV VP1 protein and its monospecific antiserum are important clinical reagents and could possibly be developed as a subunit vaccine and as a serological diagnostic antigen in the future. In addition, the region between amino acid residues 40 and 80 of JCV VP1 is predicted to be an antigenic epitope on the basis of its hydropathy plot and comparison with the VP1 sequences of SV40 and BK virus.