Interspecies-, species- and type-specific T antigenic determinants of human papovaviruses (JC and BK) and of Simian virus 40.

Immunofluorescence tests, absorption studies and quantitative analysis by a very sensitive 51Cr microcomplement fixation (CF) technique were used to define the degree of relatedness between the tumor (T) antigens induced by human papovaviruses, strain JC and BK, with simian virus 40(SV40) and mouse polyoma virus (PyV). Antisera against JCV, BKV, SV40 and PyV T were raised in tumor-bearing hamsters. The data obtained indicate that T antigens of JCV, BKV and SV40 possess various subspecificities which can be distinguished and looked upon as interspecies-, species- and type-specific antigenic determinants. It was found that JCV T and BKV T synthesized in transformed hamster cells share about the same amount (20%) of interspecies cross-reacting antigen with SV40 T from H-50 cell extracts (transformed hamster cells). Although hamster cells transformed by PyV showed definite PyV T reactivity, no cross-reactivity, at least with the sera used, was found with human papovavirus and SV40 T antigens. Furthermore, degree of heterogeneity was observed within the T antigen complex derived from different SV40-transformed cells.