New Jersey polyomavirus

NJPyV was first reported in 2014 after it was isolated from epithelial cells of a pancreatic transplant patient presenting with blindness, vasculitis, myopathy, and dermatosis. After doctors were unable to identify known viral causes of the patient's symptoms, a research team led by virologist Ian Lipkin screened samples of affected tissue for the presence of novel viruses, and identified the genome of a novel polyomavirus.[1][2]

The organization of the NJPyV genome is typical of polyomaviruses. At around 5.1 kilobase pairs in length, it contains six identifiable genes: the small tumor antigen, large tumor antigen, and alternative tumor antigen (ALTO); and three viral coat proteins, VP1, VP2, and VP3.[1] The ALTO protein is an unusual alternative splicing product of the "late region" of the genome, which canonically encodes the small and large tumor antigens; expression of ALTO has also been reported in trichodysplasia spinulosa polyomavirus.[3]

In the 2015 taxonomic update to the polyomavirus group, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses classified NJPyV as a member of the genus Alphapolyomaviridae, whose type species is murine polyomavirus (Mus musculus polyomavirus 1).[4]

The prevalence of NJPyV is unknown, though other human polyomaviruses are fairly common and usually asymptomatic.[5] Only a small number of studies have yet attempted to screen for NJPyV seroprevalence in the general population. Although one study reported its prevalence at nearly 60% of the study population,[6] others have found prevalence to be very low[7][8] or undetectable.[9][10] It is unclear if the New Jersey index case was newly infected at the time symptoms manifested, or if a latent infection was reactivated in the context of stress and immunosuppression (a known mechanism of pathogenicity for polyomaviruses).[1]

NJPyV was discovered in clinical samples from a single patient; outside of this case report, the clinical effects of NJPyV are unknown.[1]