Hamster Polyomavirus Research: Past, Present, and Future

Our plain-English summary of Hamster Polyomavirus Research: Past, Present, and Future, by B. Jandrig, H. Krause, W. Zimmermann, et al (Viruses, 2021).

The study

• Authors: B. Jandrig, H. Krause, W. Zimmermann, E. Vasiliunaite, A. Gedvilaite, R.G. Ulrich
• Journal: Viruses
• Published: 2021;13(5)
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 7 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Hamster polyomavirus (Mesocricetus auratus polyomavirus 1, HaPyV) was discovered as one of the first rodent polyomaviruses at the end of the 1960s in a colony of Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) affected by skin tumors. Natural HaPyV infections have been recorded in Syrian hamster colonies due to the occurrence of skin tumors and lymphomas. HaPyV infections of Syrian hamsters represent an important and pioneering tumor model. Experimental infections of Syrian hamsters of different colonies are still serving as model systems (e.g., mesothelioma). The observed phylogenetic relationship of HaPyV to murine polyomaviruses within the genus Alphapolyomavirus, and the exclusive detection of other cricetid polyomaviruses, i.e., common vole (Microtus arvalis polyomavirus 1) and bank vole (Myodes glareolus polyomavirus 1) polyomaviruses, in the genus Betapolyomavirus, must be considered with caution, as knowledge of rodent-associated polyomaviruses is still limited. The genome of HaPyV shows the typical organization of polyomaviruses with an early and a late transcriptional region. The early region encodes three tumor (T) antigens including a middle T antigen; the late region encodes three capsid proteins. The major capsid protein VP1 of HaPyV was established as a carrier for the generation of autologous, chimeric, and mosaic virus-like particles (VLPs) with a broad range of applications, e.g., for the production of epitope-specific antibodies. Autologous VLPs have been applied for entry and maturation studies of dendritic cells. The generation of chimeric and mosaic VLPs indicated the high flexibility of the VP1 carrier protein for the insertion of foreign sequences. The generation of pseudotype VLPs of original VP1 and VP2-foreign protein fusion can further enhance the applicability of this system. Future investigations should evaluate the evolutionary origin of HaPyV, monitor its occurrence in wildlife and Syrian hamster breeding, and prove its value for the generation of potential vaccine candidates and as a gene therapy vehicle.

In plain English

This was a narrative review of research on hamster polyomavirus (HaPyV, Mesocricetus auratus polyomavirus 1), not a study of asbestos or of people. The authors described how the virus was first isolated from skin epitheliomas in a Syrian hamster colony in Berlin-Buch, Germany, and reported in hamster colonies in the United States and Europe, and summarised its genome (5372 base pairs, with an early region encoding three T antigens and a late region encoding capsid proteins VP1, VP2 and VP3). Reviewing experimental hamster models created by subcutaneous inoculation of virions and viral DNA, the review stated that the tumours induced were mainly lymphomas (more than 50%), with sarcomas (8%) and mesotheliomas (2%); the review noted that mesothelioma "became important because of its occurrence in humans after exposure to asbestos and also to non-asbestos-related noxa", with no further asbestos data. The authors concluded that HaPyV is currently the only well-characterised polyomavirus in cricetine rodents, and the review described the VP1 protein as a carrier for foreign epitopes in virus-like particles.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: narrative review of hamster polyomavirus research
• Who was studied: Published work on hamster polyomavirus in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) and other rodent polyomaviruses, including colonies in Germany, the United States, Great Britain and Spain; no human population studied
• Exposure: Infection with hamster polyomavirus (natural infection and experimental inoculation of virions or purified viral DNA); asbestos is mentioned only as a cause of human mesothelioma, not studied here
• Main results:
  • In the reviewed experimental Syrian hamster colony, inoculation induced mainly lymphomas (more than 50%), sarcomas (8%) and mesotheliomas (2%)
  • The review noted that the Syrian hamsters bearing primary mesotheliomas were female, with faster tumour growth in females after transplantation
  • The review stated the relevance of the hamster mesothelioma model to human disease, citing asbestos among human exposures
  • The HaPyV genome was described as 5372 base pairs with early and late transcriptional regions
  • The review described work using the HaPyV VP1 protein as a carrier for foreign epitopes in virus-like particles
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that HaPyV is currently the only well-characterised polyomavirus in cricetine rodents
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors stated that knowledge of rodent polyomaviruses remains very limited, so the phylogenetic position of HaPyV must be interpreted with caution
  • The authors stated that very limited sequence data are available for statements about genetic relationships between hamster colonies
  • The authors stated that the reason for the female predominance in mesothelioma induction and growth is unknown

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Flexibility.

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