Human embryonic kidney cells: stable transformation with an origin-defective simian virus 40 DNA and use as hosts for human papovavirus replication.

An origin-defective mutant DNA of simian virus 40 immortalized human embryonic kidney cells, maintaining a T protein which could function for human papovavirus BK DNA replication but not for human papovavirus JC DNA replication. Neither BK virions nor capsid proteins were produced in these cells. This may indicate that the simian virus 40 T protein in human embryonic kidney cells is competent for maintaining transformation and initiating and completing DNA replication for BK but is not competent for switching to late gene functions. Furthermore, it appears that the JC DNA replication origin cannot efficiently use the simian virus 40 T protein for its DNA synthesis, as suggested by its DNA sequence data (R. Frisque, J. Virol. 46:170-176, 1983; T. Miyamura, H. Jikoya, E. Soeda, and K. Yoshiike, J. Virol. 45:73-79, 1983).