NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE OF THE BK-VIRUS DNA SEGMENT ENCODING SMALL T ANTIGEN

The nucleotide sequence from 0.64 to 0.53 map units in the BK virus genome coding for the small t protein has been determined. There is only one open reading frame that can code for a polypeptide of 172 amino acids, the putative small t protein. Beyond this segment, multiple termination codons are present in all three reading frames. There is considerable nucleotide and amino acid sequence homology between this region of BK virus and the analogous region of simian virus 40, especially in the proximal portion from 0.64 to 0.60 map units which is most likely common to the small t and large T BK virus proteins. A comparison of the conserved sequences within the early papovavirus genes both confirms the evolutionary relationship between these viruses and suggests the amino acid composition of the regions required for T antigen functions.