Homology and relationship between the genomes of papovaviruses, BK virus and simian virus 40.

A number of hybridization techniques have been used to assess the homology between the genomes of BK virus (BKV) and simian virus 40 (SV40). A noncontiguous set of homologous sequences has been localized primarily within the late region of the SV40 genome, and these sequences presumably account for the cross-reaction between V-antigens of the two viruses. The reason for the relatively strong crossreaction between SV40 and BKV T-antigens is still unclear. The sequence homology and similarity in genomic organization suggest a close relationship between these papovaviruses.