What type of virus is SV40?

The polyomavirus simian virus 40 (SV40) is a known oncogenic DNA virus which induces primary brain and bone cancers, malignant mesothelioma, and lymphomas in laboratory animals. Persuasive evidence now indicates that SV40 is causing infections in humans today and represents an emerging pathogen.

Why is SV40 promoter used?

The early promoter of the simian virus 40 (SV40) has been used as a model eukaryotic promoter for the study of DNA sequence elements and cellular factors that are involved in transcriptional control and initiation. Some of these elements are present in cellular genes, and may exhibit tissue-specificity in their action.

What is SV40 origin?

The SV40 origin can be used to increase the level of transcription in cells that are transfected with the plasmid because the plasmid is replicated. It is also reported that by using selectable markers in conjunction with the SV40 origin stable cell lines can be produced.

What is monkey flu?

Monkey B virus is a herpes virus that mainly affects macaque monkeys but in rare cases can be transmitted to humans and cause serious illness. Monkey B virus (also called simian B virus, herpesvirus B, H simiae, or simply the B virus) is a type of herpes virus that mainly infects macaque monkeys.

Is Monkey B virus communicable?

B virus can spread from infected macaque monkeys to people. Macaque monkeys commonly have this virus, and it can be found in their saliva, feces (poop), urine (pee), or brain or spinal cord tissue. The virus may also be found in cells coming from an infected monkey in a lab.

Who was the first person to discover SV40?

SV40 was first identified by Ben Sweet and Maurice Hilleman in 1960 when they found that between 10-30% of polio vaccines in the USA were contaminated with SV40. In 1962, Bernice Eddy described the SV40 oncogenic function inducing sarcoma and ependymomas in hamsters inoculated with monkeys cells infected with SV40.

Is the SV40 virus found in the wild?

The virus has been found in many macaque populations in the wild, where it rarely causes disease.

How is the SV40 system used in science?

For scientists, SV40 has turned out to be an invaluable tool for dissecting molecular details of eukaryotic cell processes. Numerous techniques now commonly used in molecular biology were pioneered in the SV40 system. It continues to serve as a model for basic studies of viral carcinogenesis.

Where is the early promoter located in SV40?

The early promoter for SV40 contains three elements. The TATA box is located approximately 20 base-pairs upstream from the transcriptional start site. The 21 base-pair repeats contain six GC boxes and are the site that determines the direction of transcription.